On Monday, April 21, 2025, following the briefing to the Security Council by Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) in Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), on the situation in Haiti, U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea stated :

Statement by Ambassador Dorothy Shea :

"[...]

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, SRSG María Isabel Salvador, Dr. Monica Juma, and Ms. Pascale Solages for your briefings today. I would also like to express appreciation for the efforts of the entire BINUH team in Haiti.

From the quarterly Secretary-General report and the statements that the Council has heard just now https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44745-haiti-flash-presentation-of-the-situation-in-haiti-to-the-un-security-council.html , it is clear that there are harrowing trends of increased deaths, reports of sexual violence and recruitment of children into gangs, and that Haiti continues to face serious challenges in both security and governance.

We extend our condolences to the citizens of Haiti for the lives lost, and to the people and Government of Kenya for the loss of MSS police officers.

SRSG Salvador, against this backdrop, we commend the efforts of you and your team to implement the BINUH mandate. But as has been made clear in your report, the security situation is seriously hampering your ability to do so.

Gang violence continues to disrupt the critical services BINUH needs to fulfill its mandate. Currently, BINUH maintains a skeleton team on the ground in Haiti, with all other personnel working remotely. Additionally, BINUH’s medical support has been limited to a single doctor, an alternating nurse, and one UN Volunteer program doctor.

BINUH’s team remains operationally hampered and limited in their ability to effectively carry out their mandate. As BINUH and the SRSG have reiterated, a Special Political Mission alone is neither mandated nor sufficient, even with security enhancements, to address the unprecedented challenges posed by escalating gang violence.

Moreover, the country is woefully behind on the organization of elections and the restoration of democratic order.

There remain deep concerns regarding safety and security in the broader Port-au-Prince area and increasingly, in areas beyond the capital. The United States supports the statement issued by CARICOM condemning any actions to destabilize Haiti’s governing institutions. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44692-haiti-flash-caricom-concerned-about-the-threat-of-a-coup-in-haiti.html

We continue to support the ongoing efforts by the Kenya-led MSS mission to assist the Haitian National Police in countering these armed gangs.

Corruption continues to remain a major issue. We condemn the actions of those who commit abuses of office, work with the gangs, participate in the trafficking of arms and ammunition. An environment that is permissive to such malign activities will only continue to fuel the gang violence and ensure that the situation is never resolved.

We look forward to the Haiti Panel of Experts’ upcoming recommendations for sanctions targets. The imposition of UN asset freezes, travel bans on gang leaders and their facilitators is an important tool the Security Council has to promote accountability for those destabilizing Haiti.

Supporting anti-corruption efforts and promoting accountability for those responsible for abuses is imperative to facilitating a swift end to violence.

Finally, we know the gravity of the security situation demands we address the long-term sustainability of the international community’s stabilization efforts – both BINUH and the MSS mission.

The U.S. government continues to work closely with BINUH, the Haitian government, the MSS mission, the Organization of American States, and the international community to drive progress forward. To that end, we encourage international stakeholders and donors to come to the table and contribute their fair share.

While we remain determined to assist the Haitian people to achieve the peace, security and prosperity they deserve, and while we acknowledge with gratitude those countries that have contributed to the MSS financially and in kind, America cannot continue shouldering such a significant financial burden.

I thank you."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44745-haiti-flash-presentation-of-the-situation-in-haiti-to-the-un-security-council.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44692-haiti-flash-caricom-concerned-about-the-threat-of-a-coup-in-haiti.html

HL/ HaitiLibre