I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Maria Isabel Salvador, for her briefing. I also thank Ms. Pascale Solages, who reminded us of the terrible plight of Haitian women, who are the primary victims of the cruel violence perpetrated by armed gangs. And I would like to thank Ms. Monica Juma for her message of hope and for the courageous commitment of Kenyan personnel serving in Haiti.
I welcome the presence among us of the Permanent Representative of Haiti and His Excellency Roberto Alvarez, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.
Port-au-Prince, assailed from all sides by violent criminal gangs, is “slinding into the abysse,” to quote the Secretary-General. We must act to prevent it from falling into the abyss and restore security. Without security, there can be no progress in the political transition process. The restoration of democratic institutions and the rule of law in Haiti are necessary steps to end the multidimensional crisis that the country has been facing with for far too long. The widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law experienced by the Haitian people must come to an end. Particularly sensitive to the plight of women and girls, France joined the statement issued this morning by the Women, Peace and Security Group. France also condemns any attempt to destabilize the transitional authorities, as indicated in the public communication with the United Kingdom on April 16.
The National Police of Haïti, whose resources must be strengthened by the State, continues to courageously fight to protect state institutions, with the support of the Multinational Security Support Mission. In this regard, France welcomes the commitment of the troop-contributing countries, in particular Kenya, to which it extends its sincere condolences upon the loss of two of its nationals. France will continue to support this Multinational Security Support Mission, to which it has contributed $10 million. The mission must be better equipped, in terms of troops and equipment, to prevent the expansion of gangs, which are spreading to other departments, and to recover the territories they control.
We must redouble our efforts to provide Haiti with the support it urgently needs. France stands alongside the Haitian people. It is doing so by providing humanitarian aid to combat food insecurity and assist displaced populations. In 2024, this aid amounted to $16.5 million, out of a total of $40 million in grants provided by France to Haiti last year. France shares a common history marked by tragedy with Haiti. This requires memory work, to which the President of the Republic has committed us, by announcing on April 17 the establishment of a Haitian-French mixed commission to examine our common past.
Beyond that, France advocates for greater involvement of the United Nations in Haiti. To those who might be tempted to lose hope in our collective ability to act, I would recall that we are not just takling about an unprecedented security and humanitarian crisis for the Haitian people, but also a situation that threatens international peace and security, particularly in the region and for its neighbors. We are convinced that the United Nations can provide essential strategic and operational expertise and logistical support. It is with this in mind that we called, in October 2024, for a response to Haiti’s request for a transition of the Multinational Mission. We have taken note of the recommendation made by the Secretary-General in February 2025, which indicates that a transition to a peacekeeping operation could happen at a second stage, after reducing the gangs’ territorial control. Now it is time to move on. France stands ready to work with all Member States of this Council to find a solution acceptable to all in the short term that will strengthen international support for security in Haiti.
In addition to the Multinational Mission, the Council must use all levers to combat gangs and the transnational organized crime networks that fuel them. This means the full implementation of the arms embargo and individual sanctions, as well as the implementation of these sanctions against those who support the gangs. BINUH, to which France reiterates its support, also has a role to play in supporting the Haitian authorities’ action in this area. It must be given the necessary means to fulfill its mandate.
Thank you.