Ambassador Jonathan Cohen
Acting Permanent Representative
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York City
June 25, 2019
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. President. We are pleased to vote in favor of this resolution authorizing the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). This is a historic moment. Today, we establish a new UN Special Political Mission that replaces the 15 year-long peacekeeping mission in Haiti. MINUJUSTH, and its predecessor mission, MINUSTAH, made important strides in the areas of stability and security, democratic governance and institutional development, and the promotion and protection of human rights in Haiti. We recognize the UN peacekeepers’ efforts to support a free, prosperous, and peaceful Haiti, and we thank the troop- and police-contributing countries whose nations served in these missions.
This transition also demonstrates that, as conditions on the ground evolve, the UN’s presence can– and should– change to reflect these new realities. It is our hope that this transition in Haiti will serve as a valuable model that the Security Council can apply elsewhere.
As a longtime friend and partner to Haiti, the United States is clear-eyed about the challenges that lie ahead. It is essential for the Government of Haiti, in partnership with the United Nations and the United States, to recognize the great opportunity this moment presents, and to seize it on behalf of the people of Haiti.
A successful transition will depend, in large part, on the Haitian Government’s assumption of responsibility for the range of issues the Security Council is mandating BINUH to support. This includes free and fair elections, the continued professionalization of the Haitian National Police, the reduction of community and gang violence, the protection of human rights, improvements to prison facilities and detainee treatment, and justice sector reform.
A successful transition will also depend on close coordination among the many stakeholders invested in Haiti’s success – including, but not limited to, UN entities, Security Council Members, local and international partners, the Haitian-based diplomatic corps, and the humanitarian assistance community.
In these months ahead, the United States will continue to call for constructive and inclusive dialogue among all Haitian actors. We are confident that compromise that leads to a transparent and accountable government will lay the foundation for a sustainable future for all Haitians. I thank you.
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