The United Nations Security Council extended its mission in Haiti by nine months and has requested that the Secretary-General reassess whether and how the mandate could be adjusted to address Haiti’s ongoing challenges, according to Relief Web, the humanitarian information site. Meanwhile, in Haiti, demonstrators held a sit-in to protest the mission’s presence.
The council passed Resolution 2600 on Oct. 15 to extend the mandate by less than the one year, following a compromise between what the resolution presenters requested and what China wanted. The resolution, presented by the United States and Mexico, was passed unanimously by 15 votes to zero, just hours before the political mission was due to expire. It allows the UN mission, known as the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), to remain in Haiti until July 15, 2022.
In the resolution, the Security Council encouraged close collaboration and coordination between the mission office, the United Nations country team in Haiti, regional organizations and international financial institutions. It urged all groups to work with a view toward helping the Haitian government take responsibility for the country’s long-term stability, sustainable development and economic self-sufficiency.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who represented the United States in the discussions, said, “Now is not the time for the Security Council to walk away from Haiti.” Rather, she said, it is time to ensure Haiti gets the assistance and support it needs alongside Haitian-led efforts to address its long-standing challenges.
That same day, many civil society organizations held a sit-in in front of the BINUH office in Pétion-Ville. They demanded the departure of the UN force and its leader Helen La Lime, the daily Le Nouvelliste reported.
La Lime had recently called the situation in Haiti “bleak.” Read more