Mr. President.

Over the past few months, Haiti has been hit with a slew of back-to-back disasters, both natural and man-made ones, including the assassination of its president, an earthquake and a hurricane, exacerbating its already dire political, economic, social and humanitarian crises. We have deep sympathy for the Haitian people's tragic plight. It behoves the international community to give the country more tailored assistance. The Haitian Government and political leaders should put the interest of the country and their people first, halt any power struggle, shoulder the responsibility in earnest, and work together to bring the country out of chaos and put it on the path of orderly development. 

The Secretary-General's latest report states that the huge aid efforts invested by international partners to Haiti have yet to deliver the expected result, and that a novel approach is required to address the challenges that are holding Haiti back. 

The mandate renewal for BINUH provided us with an opportunity to discuss how to help Haiti more effectively. China was a responsible and constructive participant in the discussions and consultations throughout the process. It was thanks to the joint efforts of such Council members as China, the Russian Federation, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines that substantive improvements to the draft were achieved in the end.

In particular, at the request of Members of the Council including China, the draft requests the Secretary-General to conduct an assessment of the BINUH mandate including whether and how mandate should be adjusted to address the ongoing challenges faced by Haiti. This creates an important opportunity whereby the Council can, on the basis of the Secretary-General’s assessment report, update the BINUH mandate in light of the changing circumstances on the ground to better help the Haitian people. Given the foregoing, China voted in favor of the resolution. 

In conclusion, I would like to underscore that, ultimately, Haiti cannot achieve stability and development without self reliance. We urge the Haitian Government and their political parties to always put the people front and center, shelf their differences, shoulder their responsibility and seek consensus and cooperation towards a better future for the country. China is ready to work with the rest of this Council to continue supporting BINUH in fulfilling its mandate, and to play a positive role in promoting stability and development in Haiti.

I thank you, Mr. President.