Haiti: The multinational mission and the “inexorable demand to restore security conditions”

Media reports suggest that infrastructure for the mission is being set up as supplies arrive by air to the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Below we explain what this mission would consist of.

Why is an international security mission necessary?

Haiti is devastated by violence that has escalated to unprecedented levels. In a speech before the Security Council of the UN on April 22, the special representative of the General secretary for Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, said that “it is impossible to exaggerate the increase in gang activity in Port-au-Prince and beyond, the deterioration of the human rights situation and the deepening of the humanitarian crisis,” adding that there was “ constantly called attention to the inexorable need to restore security conditions.”

In March 2024, gangs organized coordinated attacks against key state infrastructure, including several police stations and two of Port-au-Prince’s main prisons, as well as educational and health facilities and religious sites.

“These attacks,” Salvador noted, “have further weakened state institutions and deepened the already critical challenges to reestablishing the rule of law.”

In the first three months of the year, the UN reported that 2,500 people, including at least 82 children, were killed or injured as a result of gang violence.

Almost half of the victims were hit by bullets during violent attacks on their neighborhoods or clashes between gangs and police.

During the same period, at least 438 people were kidnapped for ransom.

UN data indicates that some 362,000 people – half of them children – have been forced to flee their homes because it is too dangerous to remain there.

Sexual violence and abuse against women and girls is increasing and tens of thousands of minors cannot attend school due to insecurity.

Who will support security assistance?

The Haitian National Police cannot fully contain the outbreak of violence, and Haiti’s army is small and only modestly equipped.

Virtually all countries agree that assistance from the international community is needed to support the Haitian police in their efforts to stabilize the situation and make it possible for the population to continue with their daily lives without fear of becoming victims of gang violence. .

Already in October 2022, UN Secretary-General António Guterres responded to a request from former Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, urging nations to step forward.

The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, Jamaica and Kenya officially notified the Secretary-General of their intention to contribute personnel to the mission.

The UN spokesperson confirmed that other countries have also expressed interest, but that the UN has not yet received official notifications in this regard.

Why has it taken so long to establish the mission?

Initially, a major sticking point was which country would offer to lead what could be a very complicated and risky mission.

Press reports suggest that the gangs exercise some type of control over 80% of the capital. A recent agreement between gangs to form a united front against the mission has further complicated the picture.

Kenya will lead the mission, so government officials visited Haiti to talk with Haitian and regional leaders about its mandate and scope.

The President of Kenya, William Ruto, emphasized before the general Assembly UN report in September 2023 that Haitians were “suffering immensely from the bitter legacy of slavery, colonialism, sabotage and abandonment,” adding that addressing the situation there was the “ultimate test of international solidarity and collective action.”

What type of operation will it be?

It is important to note that the mission will not be a UN operation.

However, the Security Council authorized it and requested the Secretary-General to establish a trust fund to channel voluntary contributions to the operation.

At the end of April, the UN spokesperson confirmed that Canada, France and the United States had deposited $18 million into the fund.

What will happen next and what is the UN’s involvement?

In endorsing the mission, the Security Council acted under Chapter VII of the UN Charterwhich, among other things, authorizes the use of force after all other measures to maintain international peace and security have been exhausted.

Meanwhile, the UN continues to support Haiti on multiple fronts. A political mission headed by María Isabel Salvador continues to support the government’s efforts to strengthen political stability and good governance, including the rule of law.

UN agencies provide humanitarian aid to Haitians affected by violence and insecurity, but also by natural disasters such as the August 2021 earthquake. The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service transports humanitarian workers, critical equipment and vital aid to Haiti, as well as within the country. In addition, the UN also supports the authorities in strengthening socioeconomic development.