22.01.2025 Statement by Denmark at the Security Council briefing on Haiti

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Thank you, Mr. President,

And let me also thank Special Representative Salvador, and UNODC Executive Director Waly for their briefings today.

Today’s briefing, and the reports we have received, paint a sobering picture. A picture of a country engulfed in crisis. Its people battling a relentless grip of insecurity, deprivation and despair.

Today, I would like to make three points.

Firstly, Denmark is gravely concerned by the dire security situation in Haiti, characterised by widespread and indiscriminate violence by armed gangs against the population.

The escalation of coordinated gang attacks against civilians and the State are cause for alarm. We condemn in the strongest terms the multiple massacres by gangs in Haiti over recent months.

More than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti last year due to gang violence, with many more injured, and nearly 1,500 kidnapped. These numbers are simply staggering.

Establishing security in Haiti must be a priority for the Haitian Government and the international community. It is crucial the capacities of the Haitian National Police are strengthened to tackle this rising insecurity.

In this regard, Denmark supports the efforts of the Multinational Security Support mission in assisting the Haitian National Police to bring security and order to the country. We welcome the recent deployments by Guatemala, El Salvador and Kenya to support the mission. 

As the SRSG clearly outlined, there is an urgent need to scale up financial and logistical support for the MSS to ensure it is equipped to meet its aims.

We look forward to receiving recommendations from the Secretary-General on the full range of options the United Nations can play in promoting more sustainable security support for Haiti.

The use of targeted sanctions is also an important tool to address the root causes of gang violence. This is especially true for collusion between political, economic and security sectors, as well as the illicit flow of arms into the country.

Mr. President, my second point,

Denmark is alarmed by the humanitarian and human rights crises in Haiti.

More than one million people are internally displaced. And more than half of them are children.

Hunger has reached half of the population and preventable diseases continue to spread.

Haiti’s healthcare system is also under attack. Criminal gangs have murdered and kidnapped medical workers, and burned, ransacked, and destroyed many hospitals and clinics.

We call on the international community to urgently scale up funding to Haiti’s Humanitarian Response Plan as we also heard about earlier today.

More over human rights abuses are rampant. Women and girls bear the consequences of conflict and violence, including systemic sexual and gender-based violence.

Children have been forcibly recruited to gangs, estimated to make up to 50% of members, robbing them of their childhoods and putting their lives at risk.

These crimes underscore the urgent need for the Haitian authorities to strengthen protection, accountability, and support for survivors. Impunity for crimes must be urgently addressed by the Haitian Authorities, supported by the international community.

Finally my third point, Mr. President.

Despite some progress, Haiti continues to experience political turbulence.

We are concerned by the slow progress made on the political roadmap, greatly hindered by disagreements on power-sharing.

We urge Haitian leaders to uphold the principles they agreed upon, and prioritise dialogue. We stress that any dialogue and any process prioritise the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation on women and other marginalised groups.

We welcome the establishment of a complete Provisional Electoral Council and National Security Council, and look forward to progress on the constitutional review. These represent crucial steps towards the holding of free, fair, and inclusive elections.

So Mr. President, to conclude,

Haitian authorities must work together to restore democratic institutions. The international community must support Haiti towards stability, development, and peace. Denmark is committed to this goal.

Thank you.

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