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UK expresses concern for “political gridlock” in Haiti and urges cooperation on democratic processes
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UK condemns human rights violations in Haiti and urges international community and UN to tackle challenges
Remarks by Ambassador Jonathan Allen at the Security Council briefing on Haiti, 22 February 2021
The United Kingdom welcomes the work of BINUH and SRSG La Lime, not least your efforts to ensure a more integrated UN response to Haiti’s multifaceted challenges.
At the same time, we remain deeply concerned by the political, social and humanitarian landscape, and the entrenchment of the problems faced by the Haitian population.
The persistent political gridlock is deeply troubling. In what should be a year of democratic renewal for the Haitian people, we call upon all political actors to work together to find common ground in order to build the right conditions for the successful conduct of democratic processes.
In this context, we welcome the commitment of BINUH to supporting and facilitating democratic processes in 2021, working closely with key Haitian institutions. We echo the calls made in the Secretary-General’s report encouraging the national authorities to spare no effort in surmounting the logistical challenges to elections, particularly the registration of citizens.
We share the Secretary-General’s concern about the deteriorating human rights situation, particularly the worrying increase in kidnappings and gang related violence. I echo the concerns of my colleagues over recent reports of kidnapping of citizens of the Dominican Republic. Any impunity for perpetrators of human rights abuses risks undermining the stability of the country, and puts Haitian lives at risk.
We remain worried by the humanitarian situation, particularly the acute vulnerability of women and children, compounded by the economic and health threats presented by COVID-19. We encourage all actors to work in cooperation with the international community and the United Nations to tackle these challenges for the benefit of the Haitian people.
