UN Secretary General Calls on International Community to Stand Behind Haiti
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres is urging the international community to “act quickly” as he acknowledged that each new wave of criminal attacks against Haiti’s communities and institutions “is a distressing sign that time is running out.
Violent attacks in Haiti (File PHoto)“I am convinced that the phased approach of the United Nations support…can reverse the shocking and rising trend in gang violence evidenced throughout 2024 and the start of this year,” Guterres said in a letter to the President of the UN Security Council, Fu Chong.
In the February 24, 2025, letter, a copy of which has been obtained by the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Guterres said the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission that was authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023, “is slowly assuming the shape of a real multinational effort to support Haiti.
“We must all stand behind it as an immediate and credible effort to help Haiti’s national police beat back armed gangs, prevent their territorial expansion and protect the people of Haiti,” Guterres said in his 16 page letter.
The MSS was initially slated to be composed of 2,500 officers and soldiers including personnel from the Caribbean, with Kenyan police officers forming the core of the force deployed to assist the Haitian police in regaining control of key areas and protecting civilians.
But the mission is currently facing significant funding issues, with the mission being severely underfunded and unable to reach its full operational capacity due to a lack of contributions from international partners. The United States, which has been a major contributor, has recently frozen some funding further exacerbating the problem.
Last week, in his address to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders at their three-day summit in Barbados, Guterres said he intends presenting to the UN Security Council, a new initiative aimed at supporting security and stability in Haiti, similar to one being used by the global organization in Somalia.
“It is my intention to present to the Security Council a proposal that is very similar to the one that we have presented for Somalia, in which the UN assumes the responsibility of the structural and logistical expenditures that are necessary to put the force in place, and the salaries of the force are paid through the trust fund that already exists.
“And if the Security Council will accept this proposal, we will have the conditions to finally have an effective force to defeat the gangs in Haiti and create the conditions for democracy,” Guterres said, adding “and I urge you to continue your work and advocacy to tackle the weapons and drug trafficking that is fueling violence across the region, including through prevention”.
Haiti is facing a crisis following the assassination in July 2021 of the then president Jovenel Moise. Criminal gangs are seeking to take complete control of the capital Port au Prince, and have launched several attacks, killing women and children among others.
In his letter, Guterres said that in order to isolate gangs and secure key areas, particularly in the capital and lower Artibonite, the MSS should be reinforced with specialized police units to protect critical infrastructure, such as seaports, airports, oil terminals and major roadways.
He said the MSS also needs “a clear mandate to seize and collect, record and dispose of arms and ammunition and other illicit materiel, in coordination with the national police.
In the letter, Guterres is urging support for the MSS rather than pushing for a full-scale U.N. peacekeeping operation, noting that using the peacekeeping assessed contributions to provide UN logistical and operational support to the MSS “will be critical.
“Contributing Member States must come together to back Kenya’s operational leadership with political and strategic direction and decision-making. I call on all Member States to remain committed to the MSS mission by providing the needed funding and personnel”.
Guterres said he is also urging countries “to bolster efforts to stem the illicit flow of arms and ammunition fueling violence in Haiti, including through prevention and enhanced enforcement of the arms embargo”.
Guterres said that the calls for peacekeeping have not gone unheeded, noting that “the Secretariat has carefully examined this as an option and we stand ready to do so again after the MSS reaches a stabilization phase in the implementation of its mandate.
“Furthermore, a successful political transition in Haiti is central to stronger international engagement. Ultimately, international efforts to improve security conditions must be matched by national efforts to end the political crisis.
“These are two indispensable and mutually dependent tracks to move the country forward towards the restoration of the rule of law, strengthened institutions and conditions conducive to holding elections, “Guterres wrote.
The letter also outlines some other proposals the UN Secretary General has put forward for Haiti, including providing comprehensive logistic and operational support to the MSS through a new UN Support Office, which he said would be funded through both UN assessed funding and voluntary contributions.
He said areas of support might include accommodations, food, fuel and water, ground transportation, movement control, aviation, medical capability in Haiti .
He is also proposing a limited, non-lethal support package and capacity building for the national police that would be funded mostly through voluntary contributions.
There is also a proposal for strengthening the intelligence gathering and analytical capabilities of the MSS and the Haiti National Police.
In the proposal calling for the strengthening of the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, Guterres said among its priorities the office would focus on the children, youth and women recruited by gangs. It would provide support to Haitian authorities in the jailing and prosecution of high-risk detainees.
