Haiti

At the very outset of my remarks, both on my own behalf and on behalf of the Haitian nation, I would like to express our sincerest congratulations to you, Sir, on your unanimous election to the presidency of the General Assembly at the sixtieth session. Your wealth of experience in matters of security, human rights and development augur well for the success of our discussions. I would also like to pay tribute to Jean Ping, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon, whose moderation, sense of compromise and restraint won him universal respect and esteem during the previous session. May I also express my sincere gratitude to the Secretary-General for his tireless efforts in the cause of peace, democracy and development. That triad — peace, democracy and development — is now the new name for progress made by peoples and for stability in the world. It is in that context that, for more than a year now, the Organization has deployed the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which is helping to improve the security climate in the country. We requested the Mission because of our firm belief in international solidarity. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those countries that have displayed their friendship to Haiti by contributing in one way or another to the deployment of MINUSTAH. From this rostrum, I would like to express my sincerest sympathy for the afflicted populations of the southern part of the United States of America that have been so tragically affected by the passage of Hurricane Katrina in August, one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to strike our continent. We would like once again to express to the Government and people of the United States our deepest compassion and our profound solidarity in these trying times. Our Organization is now 60 years old. The celebration of that anniversary will be a splendid extension of the High-level Plenary Meeting of heads of State or Government, which was intended as an initial stocktaking of the implementation of the commitments undertaken in the Millennium Declaration. The Government of Haiti supports the spirit of the text adopted on 16 September, which broadly reviews the minimum objectives that the international community intends to achieve by 2015. Likewise, the Republic of Haiti supports all steps taken to increase development assistance through the use of funds of solidarity at the international level. The Government of Haiti attaches the greatest importance to the proposal of the French Republic to create stable and lasting financing through innovative mechanisms in order to prevent and cure the major pandemics of our time. I am pleased to note that many of the world’s leaders have received that proposal with the greatest interest. We also welcome various other initiatives, including the United Kingdom proposal for an International Financial Facility, which arranges for borrowing on the financial markets to increase assistance to the poorest countries, in particular for the fight against HIV/AIDS. It deserves our consideration. However, those efforts may not achieve their objectives if a comprehensive solution to the debt problem of the countries of the South is not found. It would be a positive contribution to international security to solve the debt problem by cancelling the 8 debts of the least developed countries and helping those countries overcome their financial difficulties by assisting their development. The Republic of Haiti unreservedly supports all negotiated, effective, comprehensive and lasting initiatives of the United Nations aimed at solving the distressing debt problem of the peoples of the poor countries. On the sixtieth anniversary of our Organization, we should heed the many calls for the reform of the United Nations. Certainly, significant progress is being made, in particular the proposal to transform the Commission on Human Rights into a Human Rights Council. Chapter XIII of the Charter should be removed, along with the references to trusteeship contained in Chapter XII. With respect to the Security Council, the Republic of Haiti supports paragraph 153 of the outcome document, which proposes the early reform of the Security Council in order to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and thus to further enhance the Council’s effectiveness and the legitimacy degree of implementation of its decisions. In that regard, I reaffirm the position of Haiti, as expressed by Prime Minister Gérard Latortue, in favour of correcting the historical error of not having a representative of the Latin American and Caribbean region among the permanent members of the Security Council. The Republic of Haiti is at the crossroads. In a few weeks, general elections will be held throughout the country to select the nation’s elected representatives at all levels. The elections are thoroughly inclusive. All sectors and all political parties without exception are participating. Admittedly, the road to completing the process has been difficult, marked by the outbreak of violence and feverish moments. Rediscovering freedom is not easy. During long months, the country has lived in a situation bordering on chaos, in which armed bands have held many of the capital’s neighbourhoods hostage and committed the worst atrocities. Fortunately, they have been, for the most part, held in check by the combined efforts of the Haitian National Police and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Calm is gradually returning. I am convinced that the electoral campaign will take place in a peaceful climate, in spite of the large number of presidential candidates. At present, the horizon is brightening perceptibly, despite the desperate acts of ruthless gangs. Also, a national dialogue has been launched involving all relevant sectors of the country. The preparatory committee established for the purpose will shortly issue its report. In that context, the Government and the people of Haiti are grateful to the United Nations and friendly countries of all continents for their solidarity with Haiti and for their interest in the successful outcome of the present elections. Nothing can now stop the march towards pluralist and democratic elections, to be held in a climate of security ensured by the Haitian National Police, with the support of MINUSTAH. Haiti’s chronic political instability and serious socio-economic problems have compelled a great number of our fellow citizens to migrate to neighbouring shores considered to be more hospitable. However, tensions are now arising among a certain fringe sector of the local population of the host countries. We request the leaders of those countries to deal with that issue urgently in order to stop radicals from taking advantage of the situation and committing abuses against expatriate Haitians. For our part, we are open to all negotiations aimed at restoring calm and finding solutions in accordance with international treaties and rights related to immigration. At this decisive moment of the transition, we renew our appeal to the international community to visit us to observe the holding of the elections. We want transparent elections in which the candidates elected will not be challenged. We are grateful to the United Nations for the support that it is providing to Haiti during this critical period. I reiterate the solemn appeal that I made from this rostrum one year ago to the international community not to leave Haiti isolated, so that, on 7 February 2006, I can hand over power to a new, freely elected President, thereby placing Haiti once and for all in the community and comity of democratic nations; so that the Government which emerges from the elections can get down to the challenging task of economic reconstruction and social progress — with, of course, the resolute support and unflagging solidarity of the international community; so that Haiti can emerge from underdevelopment and extreme poverty, which provide fertile ground for all dictatorships; and so that the country can finally recover its unity and its soul. 9 In that spirit of solidarity and authentic cooperation — which is, after all, the raison d’être of the United Nations — the Republic of Haiti will work to achieve, between now and 2015, the Millennium Development Goals, to which all countries aspire.