Mr. President, 

I thank Special Representative María Isabel Salvador and Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang for their briefings. I welcome the participation and statements of the prime minister of Jamaica on behalf of CARICOM. I also welcome the presence of the foreign ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic and the representative of Barbados at today's meeting. 

The situation in Haiti has continued to deteriorate since the Council's last meeting on Haiti. The political stalemate continues, gang violence is rampant, the truth about the assassination of former President Moïse remains unclear, while the humanitarian crisis including food shortages and the cholera epidemic continues to worsen. The tragic plight of the Haitian people is heartbreaking. China supports the coordinated actions by UN agencies and regional and international partners to continue to provide humanitarian assistance and support to Haiti.  Therefore, it is important to make greater efforts to advance the political process. 

Without a legitimate, effective, and responsible government in place, any external efforts to address the crisis will hardly have any lasting effects. The fundamental way out of the Haitian crisis lies in advancing the political transition process. Under the current circumstances, this is even more urgent than ever. It is imperative to end the current political stalemate at an early date and on the basis of full respect for the choices of the Haitian people. 

The Haitian political parties should act in the fundamental interests of the people, conduct political consultations with a sense of urgency, bridge differences, reach the broadest consensus on transitional arrangements, and create conditions for the holding of free, fair, transparent, and credible elections at an early date. China expects BINUH to play its role in fulfilling the existing mandate authorized by the UN Security Council resolution in promoting inclusive dialogue among all Haitian parties and factions and supporting Haiti in finding a Haitian-owned and Haitian-led solution.. We also welcome the continued efforts of CARICOM and other regional organizations in promoting a political solution to the crisis in Haiti. 

Mr. President, 

Curbing the rise of gang violence and creating a security environment guaranteeing the most basic safety and security are the necessary prerequisites for alleviating the humanitarian situation and advancing the political process. The sanctions regime established in accordance with the Council Resolution 2653 adopted last year provides an important tool for fighting gang violence and therefore should be fully utilized. We commend the chairman of the sanctions committee Ambassador Biang for his recent visit to Haiti. According to his briefing, our Haitian parties generally believe that the Security Council’s imposition of sanctions on Haitian gangs and their supporters has helped improve the security situation on the ground. We hope that the sanctions committee and the panel of experts will intensify their efforts, update and expand the sanctions list as soon as possible, further detail sanctions measures, and ensure the monitoring and implementation, so as to create the necessary deterrent to gang violence. BINUH and relevant countries should give greater support to the work of the sanctions committee. 

UNODC and relevant regional countries have pointed out on many occasions strong correlation between the illicit trafficking of arms and ammunition to Haiti and extreme levels of gang violence. The Secretary-General’s report stresses that it is critical for the international community to support addressing arms trafficking and illicit flows. As the OHCHR-appointed expert on human rights in Haiti also noted after a recent visit to the country, no weapon is produced in Haiti. The embargo on arms must be implemented immediately.

For some time now, there have been intensive discussions and consultations around the Haitian authority’s request for the deployment of an international security force. Including at today's meeting, we have listened to many loud narratives of support. However, regrettably, we have not heard any countries announcing any concrete actions. Therefore, it seems that for now, a more in-depth study is required before a viable and concrete proposal can be developed. Given the current circumstances, the Security Council should prioritize taking further measures based on the arms embargo. If large numbers of weapons were to continue to flow unabated into the hands of Haitian gangs, it will be futile for the international community to try to give more support to the Haitian police. China believes that the Council should immediately take a decision requesting all countries to take all necessary measures to stop arms trafficking at the sources and to jointly cut off the access of Haitian gangs to firearms and ammunition. Any country that sincerely sympathizes with the suffering of the Haitian people and is genuinely willing to lend a helping hand to Haiti should have no difficulty or hesitation in doing so. 

Mr. President, 

Just as Secretary-General Guterres said during his recent visit to Haiti, it is up to the Haitian people to solve Haitian problems. Any external support plans should be based on the wishes and consensus of the Haitian people, and should fully respect the ownership of Haitian people. China hopes that the Haitian authorities will effectively shoulder their responsibilities and with the support of the international community find a feasible solution to achieve Haiti's long-term peace, stability, and sustainable development. 

Thank you. Mr. President.