UN Security Council: Guyana to use seat to push resolution for Haiti

Guyana will be using its non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to draw more global attention to, and support to end the prolonged crisis in, the Caribbean nation of Haiti.
Back in June, Guyana was among five countries elected to sit on the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term. This Council is a body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
In an appearance at the Atlantic Council Studios in Washington, DC on Thursday, President Dr Irfaan Ali said one of Guyana’s main priorities during its two-year term at the Council is a UN-backed Resolution for Haiti. According to the Head of State, the French-speaking Caribbean nation is not generating sufficient global attention to its crisis.
“Frankly speaking, Haiti has not been getting the type of global attention that it deserves in this time of crisis,” President Ali has posited. He added, “Many of these conversations take place around Ukraine, and we forget Haiti. Haiti has been a longer problem than Ukraine, but all the commentators and all the analysts forget Haiti exists… We see tremendous efforts globally on getting consensus for Ukraine, and we laud that, because we’re part of ensuring that every country must have peace and stability, and their territorial integrity must be defended. But we also can’t approach global problems with an uneven hand…”
Meanwhile, the Guyanese Leader also used the opportunity to highlight the need for the Western countries to step-up their support for Haiti.
“So, how are we going to get consensus, a UN Resolution on Haiti? How are we going to get Canada, the UK (United Kingdom), the US (United States), France; how are they going to participate? What resources are they putting in? We see Kenya and Rwanda – both of them saying they are ready to support by putting human assets into Haiti. The effort to get to a UN Resolution is as critical as the issue we are faced with in Ukraine,” the Head of State insisted.
President Ali went on to say that, as a small country, Guyana intends to utilise its temporary seat at the Security Council to ensure that challenges all across the world are represented at that body. In fact, he added that democracy and territorial integrity must be championed.
Back in July, the United States had announced plans to introduce a resolution at the UNSC to authorize a “multinational force” in Haiti. This was after Kenya has offered to lead the mission.
Battered by a series of natural disasters over the years, the Caribbean nation of Haiti has been experiencing an escalated and protracted political, economic, and social crisis that has led to mass violence along with food and fuel shortages for several years.
Earlier this week, the Caribbean Community-established Eminent Persons Group (EPG) said they went to Haiti on September 4 for a five-day visit to build on the positive steps made in previous meetings with the Haitian stakeholders.
The Group – comprising former Prime Ministers Dr Kenny D. Anthony of Saint Lucia, Bruce Golding of Jamaica, and Perry Christie of The Bahamas – has been encouraged by the positive steps made in previous meetings with the Haitian stakeholders in Jamaica in June, and then in Haiti in July, as well as by the outcome of informal discussions among the stakeholders, which had taken place in August to reduce differences, as had been recommended by the EPG.
According to a statement issued, the Group returned to Haiti earlier this month with the intention of building on this political platform, fragile though it was, in order to make progress in the search for a sustainable solution to the longstanding political impasse.
“The Group was, however, disappointed that the tone of the discussions had hardened, and that the positions of some stakeholders had regressed significantly, reflected in the strident calls for the resignation of the Prime Minister. These developments coincided with the alarming deterioration of the security situation in Port-au-Prince in August and the deepening of the humanitarian crisis in the country,” the missive detailed.
It was noted that, in an impaired political environment, the agreed commencement of intensive mediation meetings with reduced groups of participants was delayed by the setting of conditions and non-compliance with the agreed limits on the number of persons to be present in a new phase of intensive mediation.
Nevertheless, following intensive discussions, including one that brought together Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry with representatives of the December 21 Accord, the Joint Declaration of Kingston and Civil Society, an agreement was reached on arrangements for the intensive mediation meetings to commence on September 12. This phase of the negotiations will be facilitated initially by the EPG via videoconferencing, and subsequently in person by the EPG, should the stakeholders so request.
“The EPG remains hopeful that, with determination, goodwill and a recognition that the interests of the people of Haiti must be the overriding concern of all stakeholders, a solution can be found to restore Haiti on a path of constitutionalism and democracy,” the Group has stated. (G8)