United Nations renews political mission in Haiti for another year

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously renewed the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) for another year.

It is a civilian political mission tasked with supporting the country’s political stability, security institutions, rule of law, and human rights.

The 15-member Council revised the mission’s mandate to focus on six key tasks, including promoting human rights, supporting electoral and political processes, and reducing gang warfare.

Washington had pushed for a reduced mandate, arguing the mission had expanded beyond its original scope.

Council members also denounced the sharp rise in violence in Haiti where armed groups control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

It criticised Haitian authorities for the lack of progress in achieving a political transition and called for urgent security sector reforms.

Haiti’s UN Ambassador, Pierre Ericq Pierre, welcomed the resolution, saying it reflected a more integrated understanding of the country’s challenges and the need for concrete results.

"Our objective is clear: to protect the population, reduce violence, restore the rule of law, and create the conditions for lasting institutional stability, thanks to an inclusive dialogue that includes Haitians in the country and those in the diaspora," he said.

Last year, the Council authorised a so-called gang suppression force that will replace a smaller, understaffed, and underfunded UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police.

Haiti has been struggling with gang violence and political instability for years, which escalated following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

Last week, the UN said Haiti is facing multiple, overlapping humanitarian, political, economic, and security crises, with dire consequences for the local population.

It said 16,000 people have been killed since January 2022, 1.5 million have been displaced, and more than half of Haitians do not have enough food to eat.