Activities of Secretary-General in Haiti, including Stopover in Florida, United States, 1 July
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres flew from New York to Port-au-Prince early on Saturday, 1 July.
Upon arriving, the Secretary-General was received by his Special Representative in the country, María Isabel Salvador. He then met with Prime Minister Ariel Henry at his residence.
He then went to the offices of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), which is currently housed at the Karibe Hotel in Juvenat. Throughout the afternoon, the Secretary-General held a series of meetings there. First, he met with members of the High Transitional Council. This was followed by a meeting with members of different political parties, and then by a meeting with members of civil society.
The Secretary-General also met with BINUH staff, including survivors of the 2010 earthquake.
The Secretary-General then went back to the airport, where he had a press encounter. He told journalists that his visit was one to express his full solidarity with the Haitian people, who are going through a terrible and mutually reinforcing cycle of security, political and humanitarian crises. He also expressed his deep concern by the extreme vulnerability of people and communities in the face of these predatory gangs — and particularly by the disproportionate impact of the violence on women and girls. The Secretary-General called on partners to increase their support for the national police — in the form of financing, training or equipment. He also appealed to countries to authorize the immediate deployment of a strong international force to assist the Haitian National Police in its fight against the gangs. This is not the time to forget Haiti or to weaken our solidarity with its people, he said.
Following the press encounter the Secretary-General left Haiti and flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that evening. Upon arrival, he transferred by car to Miami. During his car ride, the Secretary-General had a phone interview with Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald about his trip to Haiti.
The Secretary-General stayed overnight in Miami before departing the next morning for Trinidad and Tobago.