Madam President,

I thank Special Representative Salvador and Executive Director Waly for their briefings, and I also welcome the presence of the foreign ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the representatives of St. Lucia and Kenya. I have also listened attentively to the statement by the civil society representative.

In the past year, the Security Council and international and regional partners have paid close attention to the situation in Haiti, and have continuously spoken out and taken multiple actions in political mediation, combating the gangs, and improving security. However, the reality in Haiti is still far short of the expectations of the international community. The political, security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti continue to worsen and are eroding the foundations of the state and the society. Where is the way out of the Haitian crisis? How can the situation be turned around? How can the international community be more effective in helping Haiti? These questions deserve our deepest reflection. I would like to offer three observations. 

First, efforts must be made to continue to advance the political process, to address the crux of Haiti’s situation. The international community and countries of the region have repeatedly called for ending the political stalemate. CARICOM and BINUH have worked tirelessly to that end. However, without a legitimate, effective, and accountable government, it is difficult for any external effort to fundamentally reverse the impasse. Without parties in Haiti working together, no amount of external campaign would help. We have noted that with the facilitation of CARICOM and BINUH, parties in Haiti have recently reached agreement on several key aspects of the transition plan and are willing to continue discussion. We hope that the Haitian authorities and the various parties and factions will put the interests of the Haitian people first and take the voices of the international community seriously, adopt genuine, responsible, and long-term approach, maintain the momentum, and build up favorable conditions for the advancement of the political process, with a view to reaching consensus on the transitional arrangements at an early date and moving towards the goal of free, fair, transparent, and credible elections. 

Second, we must strive to contain the rampant gang activities and gradually address the main cause of the situation in Haiti. The atrocities committed by the gangs are horrendous. The security situation in capital and elsewhere is deteriorating. If not controlled, The gangs will intensify their activities, and people will continue to live in fear. China supports the international community to take multiple measures to support the Haitian national police to maintain security. We look forward to the Security Council's sanctions regime playing its due role, with more vigorous measures taken in terms of reviewing and updating the sanctions list and implementing the arms embargo, so as to generate real deterrence to the gangs. We urge the United States to effectively strengthen the control of firearms and ammunition and also to enhance information sharing and operational coordination with countries in the region, so as to cut off the source of weapons and ammunition for Haitian gangs. We hope that the multinational security support mission will be deployed as soon as possible and that it will formulate a practical plan of action supported by the Haitian people to help Haiti strengthen its security capacity and stabilize the situation. 

Third, we must step up efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and minimize the consequences of the situation in Haiti. The greatest victims of the crisis in Haiti are the Haitian people. The economic downturn, the cholera epidemic, food insecurity crisis, unsustainable living conditions of the population, concerning situation for refugees and migrants, and disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups such as women and children make the Haitian people see no future or hope. China supports the UN and regional partners in increasing humanitarian and development support for Haiti. We also support various agencies and departments to strengthen coordination for synergy. While responding to the urgent humanitarian crisis, we should also focus on the long-term and effectively improve the environment for survival and development for the Haitian people, and provide basic conditions and guarantees for sustainable development. 

The key to solving the issue of Haiti ultimately lies in the hands of the Haitian people. China is ready to work with the international community to support the Haitian people in finding a comprehensive solution that is Haitian-led and Haitian-owned, so as to ensure that the Haitian people and the international community can be ever more hopeful about the future of Haiti. 

Thank you, Madam President.