UNSC: A3+ Stresses Need to Restore Security, Stability for Free Elections in Haiti
The A3+ group at the Security Council (Algeria, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Guyana) underscored Tuesday, in New York, the need to restore security and stability to hold free and fair elections in Haiti.
“Our priority remains safeguarding the valuable progress made over the past year, recognizing that restoring security and stability is a prerequisite for any genuine progress toward free and fair elections,” said Carolyn Rodrigues, Guyana’s Permanent Representative, speaking for the group at a Security Council meeting on Haiti.
The diplomat, who welcomed the adoption of a resolution during the meeting authorizing the transition from the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti to a gang suppression force, stressed that “without a secure environment, the prospects for credible elections and, by extension, lasting peace and sustainable development will remain out of reach.”
Carolyn Rodrigues also stressed that the A3+ joined negotiations to establish the gang suppression force in Haiti out of a profound sense of responsibility and commitment.
She warned that the severity of the current security crisis in the country “demands a substantial international response commensurate with the challenges at hand.”
“While we are aware that the presented project did not fully meet the expectations of all Council members, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Guyana felt it represented a constructive starting point and an important foundation for taking further action to address other aspects of the crisis,” she said.
She added: “If this project is implemented properly, it represents one of the best options available at this stage for addressing the security crisis and alleviating the suffering of the Haitian people.”
The A3+ urged the international community to “strengthen its support for the mission, including through contributions to the Trust Fund.”
