Security Council Debates Haiti’s Request to Transform Kenyan-Led Security Mission into UN Peacekeeping Operation, as Gang Violence, Organized Crime Grip Country
Despite several positive political developments in Haiti, a worsening security situation — compounded by organized crime — has resulted in death, displacement and crisis in the country, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today, urging international support to make progress on these intertwined fronts. Meanwhile, delegates discussed the country's request for a UN peacekeeping operation to replace the newly deployed Kenyan-led security mission.
“I come before you hopeful for the signs of progress in the political front, despite serious setbacks in the security one,” said Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). On the latter, she reported on armed gangs’ targeting of commercial aircraft near the Port-au-Prince international airport, subsequent coordinated gang attacks across the capital — which triggered violent responses from self-defence groups — and mass killings by armed gangs in Wharf Jérémie.
Yet, she also noted additional deployments of personnel to Haiti from Kenya, Guatemala and El Salvador, emphasizing that improved coordination between the Multinational Security Support Mission and national security forces “has led to better planning and execution of anti-gang operations”. However, enhanced international assistance is critical as challenges faced by the Haitian National Police “remain immense”. Nevertheless, she said: “The political landscape in Haiti has seen positive developments since I last briefed this Council.”
These, she noted, include the appointment of a Prime Minister on 11 November, improved collaboration between the Government and the Transitional Presidential Council, the deployment of UN electoral support and continued work on constitutional reform. However, pointing to a “fragile” transition framework and “alarming” levels of humanitarian crisis in the country, she underscored: “A sustainable solution requires progress simultaneously on the security and political fronts, backed up by constant international solidarity.”
Also detailing worsening violence in Haiti was Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), who emphasized that this is compounded by illegal arms flows, drug trafficking and other illicit markets underpinned by corruption and money-laundering. Despite the reinforcement of the arms embargo, weapons and ammunition continue to flow into Haiti. However, these illicit flows “can be detected and halted”, she emphasized, pointing to the dismantling of a network that diverted 900,000 rounds of ammunition from Dominican Republic police stockpiles into illegal markets.
Yet, she also stressed that insecurity, instability and economic hardship continue to drive people to flee Haiti, with nationals increasingly smuggled through dangerous sea routes to the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos en route to the United States and Canada. She further noted that, in 2024, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that children account for 30 to 50 per cent of gang members in Haiti. “Laws against human trafficking need to be implemented more effectively,” she stressed.
Simultaneous Progress Required in Political, Security Fronts
As the floor opened for debate, many Council members also pointed to the need to concurrently address the political and security situations in Haiti. “Effectively combating armed gangs and preventing illicit flows of weapons and ammunition that fuel their activities requires decisive action on both the security and political fronts,” said the representative of Slovenia. “The political transition cannot proceed effectively while security conditions remain precarious,” observed Greece’s delegate.
Similarly, the representative of Guyana, also speaking for Algeria, Sierra Leone and Somalia, stressed that “sustained progress in the security situation cannot be achieved without significant advances in the political process”. She therefore joined others in underlining the need to focus on political inclusivity, restore the rule of law and strengthen Haiti’s police and justice systems.
The speaker for the Republic of Korea concurred, stating that “meaningful progress in the political process cannot occur without corresponding advances in security”. He added that while the Multinational Security Support mission is an “innovative” model relying on voluntary contributions, it “has fallen short of expectations, primarily due to resource and financial constraints”, noting his Government’s recent financial contribution of around $10 million to the mission’s trust fund.
Denmark’s representative also underlined the “urgent need to scale-up financial and logistical support for the [mission] to ensure it is equipped to meet its aims” while the United Kingdom’s delegate spotlighted his Government’s financial support for the mission’s human-rights compliance framework.
His counterpart from France added that Paris has increased its contributions to the mission by $10 million, provided $8 million to its trust fund and allocated $2 million to the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF) for pre-deployment training in French and Creole. However, stating that the UN can provide the strategic, operational and logistical expertise required, he also joined others in expressing support for Haiti’s request that the mission transitions into a UN peacekeeping operation “as soon as possible”.
In that context, Pakistan’s representative underlined the need to analyse the mission’s “structural and other shortcomings” to determine how best to either support and strengthen it “or develop additional or alternate mechanisms to build and restore security in Haiti”. Noting that durable peace and stability in Haiti has “remained elusive” despite nearly three decades of Council involvement, including through the deployment of earlier UN peacekeeping operations, he called for “the development of a robust, comprehensive and well-considered plan of action, together with Haitian leaders” that can respond to Haiti’s challenges.
China’s delegate observed: “History has repeatedly proved that UN support plays only a supplementary role, rather than a decisive one.” He also stressed that UN support must help Haitians “find the right solutions to their problems, rather than becoming a panacea in itself”. Adding that the United States represents the largest source of weapons for Haitian gangs, he stressed that country has the “greatest responsibility” to enforce the relevant arms embargo.
The representative of the Russian Federation concurred, emphasizing that addressing the flood of weapons into Haiti is in the hands of one State — which “either doesn’t want to or cannot cut off” the flow. Meanwhile, Carlos Ruíz-Hernández, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama, affirmed the importance of the arms embargo in curbing the supply of weapons to criminal gangs and called for further efforts to dismantle the criminal structures beleaguering the security of the region.
“Now, more than ever, the security situation needs to be improved,” stressed the representative of the United States, noting that her country is working closely with BINUH, the Government, the Multinational Security Support mission and the international community to “drive progress forward” in Haiti. The Haitian people, she underscored, “must have the security and freedom to engage in daily activities without fear”.
Calls for Transforming Kenyan-led Security Mission into UN Peacekeeping Operation
Today’s debate also featured interventions from Haiti and other non-Council members with a stake in the region’s stability. Pointing to “young people’s dreams drowned out by the sound of guns”, Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Haiti, urged the international community to help with “a human tragedy with repercussions that go beyond our borders”. While there have been positive developments — including the completion of the Provisional Electoral Council and regained control of certain key areas by the Haitian National Police — he underscored that systematic violence poses an “existential threat” to the State.
While commending Kenya’s determination to “fight by our side”, he pointed out that the Multinational Security Support mission remains gravely underfunded and underequipped, without necessary air support. He therefore reiterated his Government’s request that the mission be transformed into a peacekeeping mission with a clear mandate, adequate resources and increased expertise. “Haiti is a land of freedom,” he stated, adding that, despite facing unprecedented challenges, “we have a courageous, resilient and dignified people who will never give up”.
Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, said that Haitians should not be “defined by their crises”; rather, they should be defined by their legacy of freedom and the “generosity that allowed the liberation of the whole of Latin America”. On the UN’s work to support Haiti — where “mistakes have been made, as have wise decisions” — he said that discussions regarding the mission’s conversion to a UN peacekeeping operation must centre on “full respect for the will and sovereignty of the Haitian people”.
Meanwhile, Suriname’s representative, speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), noted that a lack of financial and other resources for international security assistance has left the mission and the Haitian National Police understaffed and underequipped to “adequately address the issue of insecurity and violence wrought by the armed criminal gangs”. He therefore reiterated CARICOM’s “strong support” for a transition to a UN mission with enhanced international support and sustainable funding.
“The achievements of the [mission] are proof of concept,” said Kenya’s representative, noting that — despite operating at less than 25 per cent of its envisaged capability — its support to the Haitian National Police has enabled the retaking of critical infrastructure and assets, the functioning of Government and the restoration of certain services. However, the mission “represents only a part of the solution”, he said, stating that its current limitations underscore the need for broader support. He concluded: “Therefore, Kenya welcomes and strongly supports Haiti’s request to transition the [mission] into a UN peacekeeping operation.”
“The time has come for this Organization to play a more effective and direct role in bringing peace to Haiti,” stated Roberto Álvarez Gil, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic. Despite the Council’s “herculean” efforts, he said that “the reality on the ground demonstrates that measures continue to fall short of what is needed to overcome this grave crisis”. Any future UN mission, he added, should focus on protecting civilians, preventing conflicts, reducing violence and building the capacity of national authorities to “shoulder these very responsibilities”.
The representative of Canada, speaking for the Economic and Social Council’s Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, urged the Council to quickly heed Haiti’s request to transform the mission into a UN peacekeeping operation as soon as possible — “and I emphasize that it is Haiti’s request that has come to the Council”. In this regard, he joined others in looking forward to the options that the Secretary-General will present for the UN’s future role in Haiti.