Security Council Press Statement on Haiti

 

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Susan Rice ( United States):

The members of the Security Council heard a briefing by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy on the situation in Haiti.

The members of the Security Council stressed the importance of holding peaceful and credible elections as a critical element of Haiti’s ongoing recovery, reconstruction and development, and trust that, with the support of the international community, the Haitian people will be able to bring the electoral process to a successful conclusion.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern at incidents of violence that have followed the announcement of preliminary election results.  They called upon all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other political actors to remain calm, refrain from violence or other provocations and resolve any electoral disputes through established legal mechanisms.

The members of the Security Council underscored their concern about allegations of fraud and expressed their strong commitment to supporting free and fair elections and called on all political forces to work through the electoral process to ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the outcome of the election.

The members of the Security Council called upon the Haitian authorities to ensure a calm and peaceful environment, and urged MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti] to continue to extend its critical support in this regard.

The members of the Security Council express their support for the activities of the OAS/CARICOM [Organization of American States/Caribbean Community] Joint Electoral Observation Mission and underscore the importance that its recommendations to the electoral authorities and to the Haitian political parties be taken into account.

The members of the Security Council also underline the collective responsibility of all Haitian political actors to preserve the stability achieved in recent years with the support of MINUSTAH.

The members of the Security Council welcomed the continued efforts of the United Nations, other multilateral agencies and United Nations Member States in supporting Haiti’s critical needs.

The members of the Security Council will continue to follow the situation on the ground in Haiti.

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For information media • not an official record