NEW YORK, New York–Highlighting the Dutch Kingdom’s ties to Haiti via St. Maarten, Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin delivered the kingdom’s stance on the ongoing United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the French-speaking Caribbean country before the United Nations Security Council on Thursday morning.
St. Maarten, a small island developing state within the kingdom, is “the proud home” to more than 118 different nationalities, of which “the Haitian diaspora, numbering well over 5,000 persons,” is one of the largest.
“With such strong social ties, the events in Haiti are very much felt at home. As part of the Caribbean region, we also share some of Haiti’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters and climate change,” Romeo-Marlin said while pointing to the one-year mark since the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record – Irma – pummelled St. Maarten and neighbouring islands.
“Throughout the region work remains ongoing to improve resilience and ensure a full recovery from its devastating impact. Our National Recovery and Resilience Plan will include institutional reform and capacity building,” Romeo-Marlin told the Security Council.
The Haiti discussion in the Security Council was against the background of the benchmarked two-year exit strategy for a non-peacekeeping UN presence. For this transition to happen successfully, the kingdom believes “a further strengthening of the Rule of Law is paramount.”
“The rule of law is the bedrock of any just, prosperous and peaceful society. It is an element of trust for both the population and investors. In addition, it helps in cushioning external and internal shocks, as Haiti recurrently experiences. St. Maarten, as Caribbean country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, recognises this challenge,” said Romeo-Marlin, who represented the kingdom, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, at the meeting.
Haiti has made significant progress under difficult circumstances over the past few years, but substantial work remains to be done. The kingdom encourages the government of Haiti to continue institutional reform, strengthen rule-of-law institutions and improve respect for human rights. One important dimension in this regard is judicial reform. To this end, the Haitian “Parliament needs to swiftly adopt both the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal procedure.”
The rule of law also “requires effective and accountable security institutions; in particular, the police and correctional facilities.”
The outbreak of violence in July “serves as a reminder that the security situation in Haiti is still fragile and it could be challenged again in the coming months.”
It is of paramount importance, said Romeo-Marlin, that the Haitian National Police improves its ability to manage these threats and shore up the trust of the Haitian people in its performance. Particular attention should be given to the reported increase in gang activities and any perceived vulnerabilities following the scaling down of the presence of formed police units (FPU) in two areas, she added.
Haiti was commended by the kingdom on recent steps taken in cooperation with United Nations Mission for Justice Support to increase the capacity of its National Police. In that regard, Romeo-Marlin highlighted two “very positive” developments: the growing number of women recruited, and the specialised office for sexual violence crime, which was embedded within the judicial police directorate.
“On sexual-based violence, we welcome the initiatives undertaken to increase awareness, although the noted underreporting remains worrisome. It is essential that perpetrators of these serious crimes are prosecuted.”
The kingdom welcomed the thorough report of the Secretary-General for peacekeeping which “transparently measures” the level of progress made on the mission’s mandate against the previously elaborated benchmarks.
The capacity assessment, security transition plan and mitigating measures the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti have drafted and identified should ensure a robust framework for the transition to a non-peacekeeping UN presence, leading to a responsible withdrawal based on the situation on the ground, according to Romeo-Marlin.
The government of Haiti, the mission, and the UN Country Team “should continue to work closely together on achieving this. The coming period will be crucial in this regard.” The kingdom “wholeheartedly supports the Secretary-General’s call that efforts must be redoubled to ensure that the benchmarks are attained.”
As a close neighbour to Haiti, St Maarten and the kingdom “strongly support the Haitian aspirations towards peace, justice and development. The necessary foundations for this are clear: a strengthening of the Rule of Law, including by increasing the police, justice and corrections capacity, a swift implementation of priority actions and an increased respect for human rights.”
For that the government of Haiti “should take full advantage” of the presence of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti until its exit, and of the UN country team thereafter, said Romeo-Marlin on behalf of the kingdom.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/80376-pm-delivers-kingdom-s-stance-on-un-peacekeeping-mission-in-haiti
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