Lisa Vandehe, head of an interdepartmental working group on Haiti, said Canada was still evaluating its contribution to the multinational mission in Haiti, adding that Kenya for its part was ready to launch the deployment in the 90 days after the ratification of the mission by its Parliament.

"The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) pare looking at being focused on technical training," Lisa Vandehei told the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. She specified that the RCMP would probably train agents of the Haitian National Police (PNH) in "very specialized" technical areas according to a model where each trained agent would continue to teach other Haitian peers adding "The RCMP are the best in the world in several areas [...] Canada's training mission, the planning for it is still underway."

Vandehei said Canada's goal in this multinational mission is to ensure that police have the training and equipment they need to maintain order in Haiti after foreign forces leave, and that society Haitian society has the institutions necessary for a viable democracy.

Furthermore, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement that Ottawa "is also focused on preventing sexual and gender-based violence" in Haiti, recalling that during previous military interventions in Haiti, residents reported a widespread sexual exploitation by their fellow citizens and foreign armies

"We are very much attuned to that, and especially when it comes to sexual and gender-based violence taking place already in Haiti."

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre