The unanimous approval of a resolution drafted by Ecuador and the United States sends a clear message of concern about the situation in the Caribbean country, mired for months in a spiral of violence and a severe humanitarian crisis.
It also supports the proposal for the deployment led by Kenya while urging the expansion of financial contributions for the Mission’s operations.
The Council was united in extending the mandate although the Ecuadorian representation recalled the ongoing debates to convert the project into a UN peace force, an effort led by the U.S. administration.
In this way, the troops would not depend on donations or international personnel, but on the organization’s trust funds and the so-called blue helmets.
For its part, the Chinese representation assured that the appointment of another type of mission could send the wrong message and interrupt the deployment process already started.
The text approved this Monday decides to extend the current mandate of the Mission until October 2, 2025 while encouraging this peace force to accelerate its deployment. At the same time, it asks the international community to make additional voluntary contributions to expand support for the troops in the Caribbean country.
The Mission was approved for the first time in October 2023 as a mission outside the United Nations provided for through Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
This section allows the Security Council to authorize the use of force after all other measures to maintain international peace and security have been exhausted.
The then Haitian foreign minister, Jean Victor Geneus, described the decision as an expression of solidarity with a population in distress.
Weeks earlier, former Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry had asked the General Assembly to address the “structural and multidimensional” crisis facing the nation.
The mechanism aims to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid even in areas of difficult access due to the action of gangs and its financing was established through contributions from regional organizations and member states.
Despite initial optimism, it was not until June of this year that the first 400 Kenyan gendarmes arrived, while the Caribbean ones set foot on Haitian territory this September.
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