ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti Ministerial-Level Meeting

We will get started. Nuzeldon Comansey.

Prime Minister, President Vico Socks, your excellencies, ministers, dear partners and friends. Good morning and thank you for joining us all today. New, new, renaissance, um, omont, kritik, pour le, people, that Il est évident que la crise humanitaire dévastatrice se poursuit. Pourtant, nous voyons aussi des signes timides d'espoir et mesure que l'effort pour reprendre le contrôle face aux gains progressant peu à peu. The expansion of the Gang Suppression Force's operations has reduced gang influence in certain areas, helping local communities regain. Around 3 central themes. Security, democracy and international assistance. Let's begin with security. Although progress has been made, armed gangs continue to control much of Port-au-Prince and remain capable of carrying out attacks in surrounding areas. The horrific attack on Kenscoff last month was a terrible reminder that violence and instability continue to threaten Haitian communities. Kidnapping, extortion, and trafficking remain rampant. Violence, including sexual violence against women and children, has been documented at appalling rates. In this context, the Gang Suppression Force and the support provided by the United Nations Support Office in Haiti remains vital. The Gang Suppression Force continues to expand its operational presence with troops from Latin American, African and Asian countries, strengthening efforts to combat gangs and restore security. We are very grateful to these countries and their contributions. Canada calls on the UN Security Council to renew the Gang Suppression Force's mandate to keep building on the fragile gains made so far. International solidarity is required to address the situation in Haiti. We strongly urge all countries to make or to increase financial contributions and in-kind support to the mission, including to the UN Trust Fund. the Haiti Peace Dividends Fund, and the OAS-funded Office of the Special Representative. This support will help ensure that the Gang Suppression Force operations gain momentum and that personnel are well trained and compensated. It will help expand the work of the Office of the Special Representative and support improvements to correctional and justice institutes, as well as to invest in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs. Let me take a moment here to thank the United States for their commitment to the GSF and to addressing the crisis in Haiti, which we know impacts the security of the region more broadly. And let me recognize the countries who have contributed troops for their commitment to peace and security in Haiti. Chad, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mongolia and Sri Lanka. I'd also like to express gratitude to those who have pledged significant financial support for this mission: the Dominican Republic, Germany, Qatar, and Taiwan. And last, but certainly not least, we owe much appreciation to the Special Representative Jack Christophides and his office, as well as the UN GAN support office in Haiti for their excellent efforts in standing up the GSF. We'd also like to thank the support office in Haiti for their innovative work in preparing Camp Vertre and for doing so in a highly cost-effective manner. As we all know, safer streets are a pivotal step on the path for Haiti to restore democratic governance. Democratic governance that places Haiti firmly in the hands of the Haitian people and empowers them to choose their leaders. The challenges that remain are significant, but we call on the Haitian authorities to be laser focused on making continued progress towards elections. Elections should be carried out in a way that enables people from all regions of Haiti to cast their vote and to ensure that the election is a credible, secure and done in a timely manner as possible. The observation electoral international jury, a goal, more on role important.

We see the role important role to ensure the credibility and the success of the elections.

For sustained international assistance. Canada is a steadfast partner for Haiti, providing more than 570 million in international assistance since 2022. Humanitarian and development assistance remains utterly critical. As you know, a staggering 1.5 million people in Haiti are internally displaced. Acute hunger and food insecurity remain significant concerns, and schools, health clinics, and hospitals remain closed for far too many.

Today, I have the pleasure to the 25 million dollars for six new initiatives as follows to fight against the combat and suppression of the building of Haiti.

To support at-risk youth who are affected by gang violence, to prevent recruitment, to support the safe release and reintegration of those already involved with the gangs. We will support the implementation of the Pol Judiciaire to address serious human rights violations in cases involving organized and criminal networks, working to combat impunity and corruption and to bring those responsible for undermining Haiti's stability to justice. We will also support the creation of a new decentralized service centers for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as support local groups that are building peace through community dialogue, reducing stigma and the risk of violence. We'll work with partners to address harmful online content and gang recruitment, and we will fund a new polygraph unit for the Haitian National Police.

I wish to thank you again for once again for your presence here.

Here once again, I look forward to our discussions. Merci.

We now call upon, thank you very much, Secretary of State, and especially for that additional funding announcement. We now call upon Mr. Alix Didier Fils-Aime, the Prime Minister of Haiti.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. In ECOSOC, Secretary General of International International Development, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Haiti and head of BINU, members of the government, heads of delegation, ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen, and heads of delegations. invited ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome the convening of this high-level ministerial meeting of the ad hoc advisory group on Haiti. There can be no sustainable development without solidarity and without shared responsibility and without inclusion. First, for Haiti, this is a requirement and I wish to to pay tribute to the ECOSOC's steadfast commitment to Haiti. I also wish to acknowledge the leadership of Canada, a key partner of Haiti, and its recent announcement of new funding of 25.4 million Canadian dollars in support of security, governance, and the resilience of our communities. Finally, I thank all our partners and friends who continue to stand with Haiti. Ladies and gentlemen, for the government I lead, restoring security remains the top priority. That is why we continue to call for the renewal of the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force and for its full deployment with 5,500 personnel planned, along with equipment and resources needed to carry out on its mission. Haiti's security also depends on our collective ability to combat the illicit flows that fuel violence, weapons, ammunition, trafficking and transnational criminal networks know no borders. Dismantling them is a shared responsibility. International support is indispensable today. At the same time, Haiti's security must ultimately rest on the capabilities of the Haitian state. This is why we are acting now. We are hiring, we are training, we are overhauling the doctrine of our army. Through the P4000 program, we are continuing to train 4,000 police officers this year. More than 2,000 have already been trained, and a new class is set to graduate graduate from the police academy this coming November. In parallel, more than 1,500 new soldiers have already been trained, and we are launching a new program to train 15,000 new soldiers over the next three years. In this way, we are strengthening our national forces to meet today's security challenges and to enable Haiti to ensure its own security on a lasting basis. This is the whole purpose of simultaneously strengthening the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti. But restoring the authority of the state also requires a justice system capable of acting. It is not enough to arrest those who terrorize the population; we must be able to try them. In this regard, the two specialized judicial units are an important instrument in the fight against impunity, financial crime, mass atrocity crimes, and sexual violence. Ladies and gentlemen, security must also enable us to honor the second major commitment of the government I lead, giving Haitian people back their voice through elections. Today, the electoral process is well the way. Electoral operations have been launched, citizens are registering, political organizations have also been certified, candidates are currently completing the formalities required to take part in the upcoming elections. The election machinery is in motion. After years of successive transitions, Haiti is returning to the path of democratic legitimacy, for transitions cannot become a mode of governance. Haiti's next government must come through the ballot box. To see the electoral process through to the end, we must guarantee the security conditions necessary for holding the elections. The government fully assumes its responsibilities, but given the scale of the challenges, the support of our international partners for security remains essential. Security makes voting possible, voting restores legitimacy, and legitimacy paves the way for stability. This stability in turn must allow us to make progress on another major priority of our government economic recovery. the ladies and gentlemen, yet no security strategy will be sustainable unless it is also addresses the conditions that allow violence to reproduce itself. That is why disarmament, dismantling and reintegration must be an integral part of our stabilization efforts. DDR is not only about taking away weapons, we must also take away violence ability to hire, to recruit. We must be able to offer young people credible alternatives and real opportunities. This is where the security and development meet, and this is precisely where the paradigm shift we are calling for must come in. Emergency aid remains necessary. It has fed, treated, protected and saved lives. Haiti is grateful for it. But the lasting well-being of a people cannot remain indefinitely dependent on aid and charity. Haiti needs solidarity in times of emergency, but it needs investment to build the future. This is our collective responsibility. That is why we must go further. We must change the paradigm, move from aid to investment, from assistance to production, from dependency to partnership, and gradually transform the resources mobilized to manage the crisis into investments capable of creating jobs, production, businesses, and opportunities. Haiti is land of talent, resources and opportunity. The North and the South in particular offer prospects in industry, agro-industry, textiles, tourism, renewable energy, the blue economy and services. We therefore stress the need to attract the productive investment, promote technology transfer support our small and medium-sized enterprises, and better integrate Haiti into regional and global value chains. Because when we no longer hear the sound of gunfire, we must hear the sound of peace, engines starting up again, construction sites resuming, women starting businesses, young people working, and our streets rediscovering the rhythm of our music and of life. That, too, is what the peace we must and will build looks like. Mr. President, later today, we will continue to discuss the situation in Haiti. We'll talk about security, elections, development, and financing. We'll talk about figures, statistics, programs, and results. But behind these figures, there are lives. there is a people, a people who can wait no longer, a people waiting to regain security, to return home, to work, to send their children to school, and to freely choose their leaders. The urgency of the moment now requires us to move faster, to do more, and above all, to act together. Because in the end, this is about the Haitian people, about the mother who wants to raise her children in safety, about the young woman who wants to start a business about the young man who wants to work and build his future in his own country, about the family that wants to return home, about the citizens who want to be able to freely choose their leaders. They are not asking for more promises, they are waiting for results. The urgency of the moment now requires us to move faster, to do more, and above all, to act together. The Haitian people have shown their resilience. It is time to turn that resilience into results, security into confidence, peace into opportunity, and international solidarity into a true partnership for development. I thank you.

We share your vision and we support you. And now I will give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Algeria and the new President of ECOSOC, His Excellency Amar Benjama.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Prime Minister, Alex Didier Fisseme of Haiti. Ministers.

President of the ECOSOC, I am pleased to address this important meeting on Haiti. I had the opportunity to work closely on the security dimension of Haiti's complex and multidimensional crisis during Algeria's recent membership of the Security Council. Restoring security is an urgent priority for Haiti, and the international community is encouraged to provide financial and logistical support to enable the full deployment of the gang suppression force. And at the same time, we, as member states, we must support the Haitian authority in advancing toward credible, free, and fair elections. Dear colleagues, As the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reminds us, there can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without sustainable development. To restore stability in Haiti, we need to address the root causes of instability and in a comprehensive manner, coordinated and sustained manner. This will also require that the pressing humanitarian needs, that the response plan on Haiti is adequately funded. Our effort, our efforts must focus on the most vulnerable to ensure no one is left behind. These include, in particular, women, children, and internally displaced persons. Protecting Haitian children from violence, from gang recruitment, while providing safe pathways for children associated with armed groups must be a priority across our efforts. They need access to protection, to education, to essential services. They also need opportunities to build for themselves a safe and secure future. Dear colleagues, the people of Haiti need our support and solidarity at this critical moment to lay the foundations for lasting stability, prosperity, and legitimacy of its government. I welcome Haiti's plan to present next July its first voluntary national review at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. This will provide an important opportunity to assess the progress to identify challenges and priorities, and to renew efforts to advance sustainable development in this country. The Economic and Social Council, through its ad hoc advisory group on Haiti, will continue will continue to advocate and to mobilize support for Haiti's long-term development. Our collective efforts must remain focused on Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solutions for stability, for development, and for resilience. In closing, My, I think, on your behalf, Canada, Canada for its longstanding leadership of this advisory group and for its commitment to Haiti, to the Haitian people, I thank you.

Thank you. We now turn to Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, who is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, BINUH. Carlos.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Honorable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State of Canada, Excellency, Monsieur Alex Didier Fisseme, Prime Minister of Haiti, Excellency Amar Ben Dhiyama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the UN and President of ECOSOC, dear ministers, excellencies, dear colleagues. It is really a pleasure to be with you here today. And let me begin by thanking the ECOSOC AROC Advisory Group on Haiti and the leadership of Canada for bringing us together once again for its continued engagement in Haiti. I would like to focus my remarks on what we are seeing on the ground, and particularly on what we think will be required to translate progress on security into sustainable stabilization. It all starts with security, and let me start with security. As the Security Council considers the renewal of the Gang Suppression Force mandate before the end of the month, sustain international unity around the force remains essential. The renewal of the GSF is fundamental. But renewal is only part of the equation. The GSF must reach full deployment and operational capacity as early as possible, while Haitian authorities continue to strengthen their security forces. And at the same time, we need to be ready for what comes next, because conducting security operation as important as this, it's only the first step. The real test is whether we can hold those gains and translate them into lasting change for the Haitian population. When an area becomes accessible, again, the state and basic services need to follow. Police and local authorities, but also schools, justice institutions, and economic activity. Otherwise, the vacuum remains and gangs have an opportunity to return. This means that national authorities, the United Nations, development partners, and international financial institutions need to be ready to act quickly and in a coordinated manner whenever security openings emerge. This also means that Haitian institutions must be at the center of the response. One of the clearest lessons from past international engagement in Haiti is that gains will only be sustainable if national institutions are able to establish their presence deliver services, and build confidence with communities. But holding territory is only one part of the challenge. We also need to address the ability of gangs to recruit, as the Prime Minister has said, and replenish the ranks, while strengthening efforts to stem the flow of weapons and ammunitions that continues to fuel violence. This is where disarmament, dismantling, and reintegration, DDR, becomes an integral part of the security and stabilization response. The work underway with the Haitian authorities to develop a comprehensive Haitian-led DDR framework is therefore critical. And DDR cannot wait until security has been restored. It needs to work alongside security pressure, creating credible pathways for those willing to disengage, individually or collectively, establishing appropriate pathways and safeguards for children, and preventing further recruitment. This is not about weakening the security response, nor is it about offering impunity to gang leaders. It is about making security pressure more sustainable. As pressure on gangs increases and incentives begin to shift, mechanisms must already be in place for those seeking to leave violence behind. And this is precisely why justice must be part of the equation from the outset. Communities that have suffered enormously from gang violence need to see a clear distinction between pathways from disengagement and pathways to impunity. The challenge is therefore to advance security, DDR, and justice together. Maintaining pressure on gangs, creating differentiated pathways, particularly for children, while ensuring accountability for those responsible for serious crimes. In this regard, progress towards the operationalization of the special judicial unit is particularly important to effectively investigate and prosecute serious crimes. Finally, these efforts must also help support and sustain political progress. The electoral progress, as was said by the Prime Minister, is underway, but its pace and reach will ultimately depend on the establishment of minimum security conditions. reopening strategic roads, restoring state presence, and improving freedom of movement, and therefore, are therefore not only security objectives. They are also essential for restoring the space in which political and democratic life can take place. As Haitian institutions consider the adjustments that may be required to advance the electoral process, It will therefore be important to maintain momentum towards elections, preserve confidence in the process, and avoid allowing uncertainty over the way forward to become a further source of instability. I will conclude with one central point. Progress on security, DDR, justice, and elections cannot be pursued in isolation. Each needs to create the conditions for progress in the others. Without credible pathways out of violence, security gains will remain fragile. Without justice, DDR risk being perceived as a pathway to impunity. And without political progress, none of these gains will ultimately endure. Ensuring these efforts reinforce one another is precisely at the core of the UN mandate in the country of BINUH, working alongside Haitian authorities and international partners to support an integrated response. But achieving this also requires sustained and coordinated international support. And this is where this ad hoc advisory group can play an important role, sustaining international attention, mobilizing support, and helping align it behind the Haitian-led priorities. And we now have concrete mechanisms to translate this collective commitment into action. The recently launched multi-partner trust fund provides this opportunity to bring partners and resources together behind these shared priorities. We now need to ensure it is fully utilized as a vehicle for continued and coordinated support to Haiti. This is a window of opportunity that we cannot miss. It's a window of opportunity to help alongside Haitian authorities, and we need to seize it. I thank you very much.

Thank you, Carlos. We now turn to His Excellency Mario Andresol, who is the Minister of Defense of Haiti.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of Delegation, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to first express to the ECOSOC of the United States, as well as to all our international partners, the the gratitude of the government of the Haitian Republic for their attention that they've accorded to the security situation of our country. So by putting us at the heart of exchanges when it comes to development. ECOSOC reminds us of a fundamental reality, the security is an indispensable condition for the stability of states, for protecting populations, and for the achievement of sustainable development goals. For Haiti, this interdependence reveals an important, is particularly important because reestablishing condition security ensures economic rebounding, the construction, building a sustainable stability. So it is in this view of collective responsibility that I would like to present to you the challenges that the country is facing and the progress that the government has made and the remaining needs when it comes to defense and security cooperation. Ladies and gentlemen, at this day, at this moment, the security difficulties are particularly in three of the ten districts of the Republic. Among these, 29 of these areas, about 58%, are actually controlled by our security forces, while 21 others are still confronted to various degrees with the presence of armed groups and consistent constraints when it comes to security. This situation necessitates a determined national response, but do not reduce the progress that has been made when it comes to reestablishing the authority of the state. The government is pursuing a strategy of progressive consolidation of various areas that are now under national control. And and strengthening the national and Haitian army and national Haitian police forces through the improvement of operational forces and the mobility of our forces. We are working to put into place the necessary conditions to protect our population and to ensure that economic activities that are necessary for national life can be resumed. This is all being done where threats are not only internal threats. There's also the illegal flow of armed weapons and of narcotic substances and continue to allow armed groups to weaken Haiti's stability. This collective security approach is indispensable. The sharing of borders, of maritime and land borders, also make cross-border cooperation a strategic imperative. We should improve the capacity of surveillance, of maritime surveillance, and we should develop operational cooperation to fight against illicit flows that destabilize security.

The protection requires a regional cooperation that is capable of fighting the sources of crime networks. This is why this is the format under which the suppression of gang, that program, also involves the authorities of the Haitian government to ensure that the comments from community and the impact, particularly where the authority of the state has been consolidated, is very encouraging. However, it is very important to deploy the forces as they have not fully reached their potential, even though its mandate is coming to an end. The consolidation of the outcomes that have been experienced on the ground, indicates a continued commitment of the international engagement involving resources and strengthening the national capacity from the support of our partners. Therefore, we'd like to express profound gratitude to Member States who have contributed to this, as well as other countries that have provided resources, both logistical and technical, and of course the financial support. So the equipment and financing constitute in this regard elements that are very important for the follow-up and the strengthening of stabilization. Mr. President, Excellencies, and gentlemen, one of the -- it's to look into the international support is very essential and need to fully support the national capacities. Our country for many years has had the support of the international community in security for which we are truly grateful. However, given that despite all these efforts, we have continued to face cycles of instability and insecurity, which is why the Haitian government would like to call upon a consolidation of security at its national level to enable us to have the human, material, and operational means to suppress these gang activities, which is why the building of the capacity, the increasing, increasingly for the support of the police and to 1,200 police forces, so we, these efforts, will enable to further strengthen the presence of the police nationally and to further strengthen the protection of the civilians. In addition, the government of Haiti has set a very ambitious view for the next year 1,500 soldiers have been trained and have graduated and indeed the finalization of the uh project of FDR on uh the over 3 years 7,000 soldiers per year so this is not only limited to soldiers it is also in a vision of professionalization and training equipment and modernization of our forces our defense forces and security. The main aim is to ensure that Haiti is equipped with forces, national army forces, defense forces that would be at the top level to protect our civilians and our people and to ensure that the new doctrine, new military doctrine, it is in the process of being finalized to prepare missions and to set the modes of intervention to the reality, the security reality to which our country is confronted. So the contemporary threats, the surveillance of territorial spaces and maritime, and to ensure a better coordination between the national institutions of security. Our mission is very clear, our vision is clear, support and further enhance the capabilities of our forces, our security services, to ensure that Haiti can stand alone, support its own defense and to be able to meet challenges of its vulnerability. So for us, for Haiti, the challenge is not only to respond to the security challenges right now, but to further strengthen and expand the capacities, and which is why we would like to increase a better and structured collaboration in view to strengthen specialized training, modernization of equipment, the operational mobility and maritime and terrestrial territory. The implementation of the hiring and the strengthening of the capacity will ensure a real adapted support from partners internationally and a cooperation that can bring in the training and indeed the equipment, infrastructure and the professionalization of defense and security institutions in Haiti. This cooperation needs to accompany a new military doctrine so that this can be translated through the operational and coherent adapted to the needs of the country following the rule of law. and setting up as well and strengthening the regional mechanism of union and to respond to these threats that are faced in the region. The international cooperation need to strengthen our national capacity and also the establishment of challenges faced on the ground. Mr. President, we, ladies and gentlemen, these are to enable the internally displaced populations to go back to life, to their activities, to the market, to the farmers, to regain their land and to create the structure in order to hold an election and the launching of social and economic development. We call upon the partners as they continue to do so to further strengthen in the long term. We need an international cooperation that will accompany us, support its national capacity for a sustainable development Our aim is not to replace the international solidarity, but to further strengthen this and to enable Haiti to move forward on this new path. So, the security of Haiti is national, but its continuity and sustainability depends on the international solidarity for the establishment of rule of law and our commitment, let us ensure that we strengthen the police and our security structures and so that we can further strengthen our international and regional cooperation and to accord our country the means and the ways in order to avoid this reproduction of the same cycles, which is why we call upon our international partners so that we can ensure that the security is not only a response to the crisis, but a sustainable, fundamental basis for our social and economic development.

I thank you for Haiti.

Thank you very much, Mr. Minister.

for its leadership role in this project, and in particular in the role that it plays, not just financially, but also in helping to train the GSF and other security forces in the region. So thank you. I would also add, because we've missed it, that we should highlight Peru's commitment to supporting the GSF through contributions of its armed forces. Gracias. Friends, we now turn to remarks from member states and observers in accordance with the list of speakers. In order to maximize the time available and allow all inscribed speakers to take the floor, I'd like to remind participants that statements are limited to two minutes. To assist speakers in this regard, the light on the speaker's microphone will start to blink when 30 seconds remain. I kindly request speakers to wrap up their statements once their two minutes are exhausted. So I now begin by giving the floor to his excellency Miles Leroda, who is the Minister of National Security of the Bahamas, and he is speaking on behalf of CARICOM.

Thank you, Chair. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the 14 member states of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM. We thank the co-chairs, the honorable Randeep Surai, Secretary of State, International Development of Canada, and Her Excellency Reyna Forbes, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Haiti, for convening this timely meeting. We are also grateful to His Excellency Alex Didier Fise May, Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti, for his briefing and for the leadership he continues to demonstrate on behalf of the Haitian people at this decisive juncture. On the political front, CARICOM welcomed the adoption of the new electoral decree and subsequent publication of the electoral calendar. Which sets 13 December 2026 as a target date for the first round of national elections with second round on 21st February 2027. CARICOM reaffirms that these must be Haitian led, credible, free, fair, and inclusive elections and we call on the international community to provide the technical, financial, and logistical support the provincial electoral council requires to deliver them on schedule. Haitian authorities and stakeholders must remain at the center of every decision concerning their country's future. The role of the international community is to support not substitute for that leadership. Concerning security, CARICOM welcomes the Security Council's authorization in Resolution 2793 of 2025 of the transition from the Multinational Security Support Mission to the Gang Suppression Force and the establishment of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti to provide it with logistical and operational backing. We commend the appointment of the special representative for the force and the head of the United UN Support Office and we also underscore the urgency of its full and rapid deployment in close partnership with the Haitian National Police. Moreover, CARICOM encourages all member states to contribute generously to the Gang Suppression Force Trust Fund and to the detention justice sector reform and disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration initiatives that must accompany it. As this council prepares to consider renewal of the forces mandate, CARICOM will lend its full support to ensuring it remains sufficiently resourced, operationally effective and accountable to robust human rights safeguards with particular attention to the protection of women and children. We remain gravely concerned by the scale of violations against children, an increase of some 490% according to the Secretary General's most recent report on children and armed conflict. And we call on all armed gangs to release children from their ranks without delay. Excellencies, regarding development and humanitarian needs. CARICOM remains seriously concerned that the 2026 humanitarian needs and response plan is substantially underfunded leaving millions of Haitians without essential assistance. Widespread acute food insecurity and ongoing displacement particularly among children, continue to affect communities across the country. Sustainable peace requires addressing the urgent needs of those facing hunger and displacement. We therefore renew our appeal to donors, traditional and non-traditional alike, to significantly upscale funding and to do so flexibly and predictably so that humanitarian assistance and long-term development planning reinforce rather than compete with one another. CARICOM welcomes the school meals programs as a model of precisely this kind of dual impact, and we support the government of Haiti's commitment through the School Meals Coalition to reach 1.5 million children this school year, with an objective of achieving 100% nationwide coverage by 2030. We also welcome the continued engagement of the international financial institutions, including the IMF staff monitored program, the World Bank's country partnership framework, and the Inter-American Development Bank's forthcoming medium-term recovery and development plan, and stressed that security remains a precondition for unlocking the private investment Haiti needs to break this cycle of contraction. Excellencies, Haiti stands at a crossroads. The deployment of the Gang Suppression Force and the promise of elections later this year offer a narrow but real window of opportunity. CARICOM will continue to use its good offices to support a solution that is Haitian-led, Haitian-owned, and Haitian-focused. And we thank the Prime Minister once again for his candor and his commitment to that vision today. I thank you.

I thank the representative of CARICOM for his statement, and I now welcome and give the floor to Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

Thank you very much, Chair. Your Excellency, the Prime Minister of Haiti, Excellencies. Prime Minister, I would like to begin with you. Thank you and your government for staying the course under exceptionally difficult circumstances. The United Nations continues to stand with the Haitian people. Thank you, Canada, for your steadfast leadership of this group and for bringing us together at such an important moment for Haiti. We all know and we have heard today what the people of Haiti are living through. The international response needs to be stronger and it needs to be much faster. This group brings together the partners who can make that happen from the region and well beyond. Getting the member state led gang suppression force deployed quickly is a priority for all of us. It gives Haitian authorities a chance to restore public order, protect communities, and create the space for political and institutional progress, including the elections planned for December. But the force has yet to reach the strength it needs. Getting there at the speed and scale that is required depends on all of us working together and working with a sense of urgency. The UN Support Office in Haiti is fully operational and is supporting both the force and the Haitian National Police. Security opens the door, but as the Secretary-General underscored in his letter to the Security Council in May, and underlined when he visited in June, lasting peace and stability in Haiti needs a comprehensive approach. Haitian-led disarmament, dismantlement, and reintegration, strong justice and correction systems, accountability for serious crimes and human rights violations. There must also be sustained work on the root causes of that violence. Containing the rampant violence is just the first step. Preventing its return is far more difficult, and it demands investment in communities, rebuilding trust in institutions, strengthening the rule of law and giving young people real alternatives to life inside a gang. To that point, I would like to commend you, Prime Minister, on the launch of the peace dividend fund. Our UN Resident Coordinator, Nicole Kwasi, is working alongside your government so the fund can help bridge the gap between security operations and Haiti's longer term peace building and socioeconomic recovery. There is a place in this effort for every partner in this room. If your country is not in a position to contribute directly to the gang suppression force, you can make a decisive difference through the Peace Dividend Fund and related stabilization efforts. and I would encourage all of us to consider this. The difference this support makes is concrete. It can help people leave armed groups for good. It can expand violence reduction work in the neighborhoods hit hardest. It can give the police, the courts, and the prisons the capacity to hold ground once it has been taken. Our political mission in Haiti, BINUH, is indispensable on both the political and security tracks. It is helping build national consensus and supporting preparations for a credible and inclusive election. It is also advancing work on disarmament, on reintegration, justice, human rights, and governance. Excellencies, our message today should be one of unity and resolve, solidarity with the people of Haiti. Haiti needs immediate security support and sustained investment in peacebuilding, its institutions, and of course, its people. These priorities will have the greatest chance of success if brought together in a single strategy led by the Haitian people and backed by all of us. Haitian families are paying the cost of inaction every day. Every contribution made in this room today to the force, to the Peace Dividend Fund, and to Haiti's institutions brings closer the day that those families can feel safe once again in their homes. I thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for those remarks, and thank you for your leadership on this and your support for this mission. It is much appreciated. I will move back to an established speakers list. Again, I remind everyone to stick to the two minutes in order to allow as many of our member states to speak as possible. Next, I call on His Excellency Ito Bizon Ohaza, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Excellencies. I'd like to thank Canada for convening this meeting and its leadership of this group. This is the first time that I intervene as a Minister of Foreign Relations of my country, and I'd like to reaffirm the Dominican position of continuing to support and strengthen our relationship with Haiti. Haiti today needs for security, the institutional recovery, and development to move forward together. That is precisely the value these groups brings to help put the immediate response so that Haiti could recover its stability and build sustainable solutions. There has been some advances in security, but it's still frail and The force does not have enough contingencies as its mandate requires. On July 8th, its military component had 1,083 people, while the authorization was 5,550. It will not have full operational capacity until the last semester of this year. While this gap perseveres, we will still have the risk of losing what we've gained. This is why our priority should be clear. We need to full its commitment and give it its necessary resources for fulfilling its mandate. Security in itself will not resolve the Haitian crisis. This group has a big responsibility. Its contribution should help mobilize resources to strengthen the justice systems, support reintegration, recovery services, and generate economic opportunities. These are the conditions that would allow for the security gains to be sustained. We must also think what happens after each security gain. Each detention needs a justice system that can actually process them. Each young person that leaves a gang needs a real alternative. Each space that we've recovered must be translated in institutional presence, services, and opportunities. Security and development must move forward together and not one after the other. Haiti needs an economy that can generate jobs and offers opportunities to its young people, especially. The experience of the textile sector and the free zone can show that productive investment can contribute to these goals even under very difficult circumstances. The international community could help widen opportunities through financing, cooperation, and mechanisms to decrease the risk for productive investment. This area is an area in which ECOSOC and financial institutions, international financial institutions, and the UN system could contribute concretely. But this mustn't allow us to forget this is an emergency. Excellencies, Haiti needs to recover its security in order to recover its institutions and move forward towards free, credible, and inclusive elections. The Provisional Electoral Council has set December 13 for the first presidential run and 21st February 2027 for the second. The council itself has already set that calendar and said it depends on the acceptable security environment and the necessary financial resources for the elections to be carried out. The main responsibility is, of course, Haitian, but we need to support them. comprehensively with resources and political will. We mustn't allow this opportunity to be lost once again. Haiti does not need us to promise a future. What it needs is for us to support them to gain the present. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Excellency.

To His Excellency Carlos Ramiro Martinez, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala. Sir, the floor is yours.

Good morning and welcome. From the time that we joined this group in 2024, Guatemala has taken this membership with a specific expression of its commitment to the Haitian people. We'd like to thank Canada for its leadership and efforts to keep Haiti as a priority in the international agenda. We believe the group plays a fundamental role to promote an international response that is coordinated to meet the immediate needs of the Haitian people and to also tackle the structural causes of this crisis through a comprehensive focus on security, institutional reinforcement, economic assistance, and sustainable development. These efforts must support the solutions led and taken on by the Haitians. The Guatemala's commitment is also seen in specific actions on the field. Currently, we have 150 military police in Haiti, and we will also add another 300 soon. To reestablish sustainable security conditions, it's necessary to strengthen Haitian institutions and generate the necessary conditions towards free, credible, and inclusive elections. We welcome the plans of the Prime Minister to carry them out and know what the government is doing to establish the proper situations. Guatemala will work with Haiti and Canada and the members of these groups and the UN system in order to promote international support, sustainable, coordinated, and according to the priorities of the Haitian people. Thank you very much.

Gracias.

Thank you.

I now turn to Her Excellency, Camina Johnson-Smith, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade for Jamaica.

Mr. Prime Minister, DSG, Excellencies, Jamaica remains deeply concerned by the multidimensional nature of the crisis in Haiti, which continues to have profound humanitarian, security, political, and socioeconomic consequences for the Haitian people and for the wider Caribbean. We therefore thank the organizers of this meeting, which provides an important opportunity for us to reaffirm the indispensable link between security, stability, and the economic development of Haiti. We join with the CARICOM statement delivered by the Bahamas. As you have heard, gains have been made, but the security climate remains tenuous. It is expected that as additional personnel are deployed, the GSF will continue to ramp up its efforts to assist the HNP and the Haitian armed forces to restore order in order for credible elections to be held in the first instance and more broadly. But as Haiti prepares for the first phase of its elections, a significant improvement in the security environment will be necessary to create the conditions for a credible, inclusive, and peaceful process. This reinforces the need for continued international backing for the GSF and its work in partnership with the HNP and the Haitian Armed Forces. In that light, Jamaica adds its voice to those who call on the Security Council members and on countries that have strong relations with them to support the renewal of the mandate of the GSF and for adequate resources to be allocated to expand and sustain the force's operations. A gap in GSF operations at this time will redound only to the benefit of the gangs and should absolutely not be allowed. Jamaica has contributed personnel to the GSF and is a member of the standing group of partners supporting it. We're providing command support and are training members of the GSF to ensure operational effectiveness, but so much more is required. Countries still ask how they can help. Financial support, troop contributions, logistics support, especially airlift for deployments, air and sea monitoring support are all critical needs. They are the specific ways in which members of the international community can provide support. There are countries willing to deploy, but which don't have airlift. There are countries with personnel able to provide intelligence support, but do not have the software. They require equipment on the ground. And there are countries with naval and coast guard personnel who could be deployed, but would require vessels. So funds, airlift, equipment, these would allow for exponential expansion in operational effectiveness. The plans are there, we need the people and the equipment to do the job. As you have heard, the JSF should be understood as a part of a broader Haitian-led response. And Jamaica firmly believes that the Haitian authorities and stakeholders must remain and do remain at the center of decisions concerning their political transition, security, recovery, and long-term development. At the same time, the international community has an important responsibility to strategically support these Haitian-led efforts, including by strengthening national and local capacities and helping to mobilize the resources required to implement their nationally determined priorities, as you have heard. Security gains are, however, indispensable to help create the space for political transition, restoration of state authority, and recovery. This is the reality. Security is a necessary precondition and parallel requirement for progress in all other areas. So let us move beyond words to actively support Haiti at this critical juncture in the ways they have already told us they need. I thank you.

Thank you, Excellency. We now take a moment to allow the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State, and the DSG to depart us for other commitments. Thank you. And thanks to all of you for your interventions today. I will move back to the established speakers list and remind again to please stick to the two-minute intervention limit. I now call on Her Excellency Hajja Labib, who is the Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management for the European Union. Excellency.

Excellencies, in Haiti today, childhood is being stolen. Children are being recruited by gangs. Families are trapped behind walls of violence. Humanitarian workers risk their lives to reach people in need. But Haiti is not alone. Europe stands with the Haitian people, with one goal: to help Haitians take back their future. Since 1994, the European Union has provided close to 600 million euros in humanitarian aid to Haiti, making it the largest recipient of EU humanitarian assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year alone, our support amounts to 23 million euros. Our support helps survivors of gender-based violence. It keeps humanitarian flights moving, bringing vital supplies to hard-to-reach communities. We are also contributing to security with 10 million euros in support for the Haitian National Police and the Gang Suppression Force. Let me briefly focus on three things. First, security and human rights must go hand in hand. Humanitarian organizations must be able to reach communities safely. Aid workers must be protected, and the line between security operations and humanitarian action must remain clear. Second, children recruited by gangs are not targets. They are victims. In just the past year, three times as many children have been pulled into gangs. They need protection, they need a way out of violence and back into school. We must give them back their future. And that is why our humanitarian support is already funding educational projects. In a crisis, a classroom is more than a place to learn. It's a place of safety and hope. And third, Haiti needs more than a security response. Security is essential, but it must be matched by more humanitarian support that saves lives today and developments that gives people hope for future. Dear friends, now the international community must step up. Haiti's future cannot depend on emergency aid or the goodwill of donors. Haitians deserve the life to live in safety and dignity, to build their own future. And Europe will stand with them every step of the way. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the EU for her statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, His Excellency Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs.

Thank you, Chair. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Bahamas on behalf of CARICOM. Let me also thank you for your continued leadership of the ad hoc advisory group on Haiti and for ensuring that Haiti receives the international attention it needs. The ongoing crisis in Haiti, marked by unrelenting gang violence, mass displacement, food insecurity, and institutional fragility, demands a collective and coordinated response. We must sustain the security gains now underway, while above all, safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of the Haitian people. The deployment of the Gang Suppression Force is a welcomed and necessary step, and my delegation commends all those who worked to bring it into being. But the violence over the past year makes clear that force alone will not resolve this crisis. The Haitian National Police needs sustained support from all Member States and key partners, not only to confront armed gangs directly, but to help dismantle the financial and political networks that sustain them. Chair, food insecurity remains one of the most alarming dimensions of this crisis. With 5.7 million Haitians facing acute food insecurity this year, it is not only a humanitarian concern, but a matter of stability. International partners must continue to invest in strengthening Haitian institutions, governance, and national capacity so Haiti can deliver essential public services, safeguard the rule of law, address the root causes of violence, and lead its own path toward credible elections, sustainable development, and democratic governance. We urge all partners to increase funding for the humanitarian response plan, which currently receives less than 20% of the required amount. The catch-22 of the Haitian crisis is not merely that the political, security, and humanitarian dimensions demand urgent attention, but that they all demand equal, simultaneous attention. Advancing one track while neglecting the others has never proven sustainable, and risk unraveling progress made elsewhere. This is especially true as Haiti approaches this year's elections. A vote held amid unresolved insecurity and political criminal ties left unaddressed will not deliver the renewal it is meant to represent. We owe the Haitian people more than a vote in name only. Excellencies, fatigue cannot be an excuse for inaction. especially when lives hang in the balance and an entire nation's future is at stake. Let our conscience be our guide. The Haitian people have not given up. Neither should we. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Saint Vincent for his intervention, and I now turn the floor to Qatar, Dr. Mohammed Al-Khalaifi, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Thank you, Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, we would like to thank Canada for convening this important meeting. We also would like to express our gratitude for His Excellency, the Prime Minister of Haiti, for his insightful and powerful remarks. The State of Qatar reaffirms its steadfast commitment to the security, stability, and prosperity of Haiti as part of our mandate to contribute positively to the pathway of global peace and security. The situation in Haiti is of great importance, not for the region only, but also for the global peace and security. We remain deeply concerned by the multidimensional crisis facing the Haitian people and share the conviction that the pathway forward must be Haitian-led, with international communities playing a coordinated and sustained supporting role. The establishment of the GSF offers a cautious hope that security's conditions may improve. In support of this, of its mandate, the state of Qatar is proud that it has pledged previously a voluntarily contribution of a 30 million US dollars to the United Nation, uh, Trust Fund. Furthermore, the State of Qatar is honored to have joined the advisory board of the trust fund, and we look forward to the broad support of the renewal of the force mandate at the Security Council, uh, on the engagement with our, with the friendly people of, of Haiti, uh, Qatar has a long standing relationship. with its people. Between 2014 and 2024, Qatar Funds for Development supported education projects in coordination with Education Above All Foundation, as well as scholarship programs with several Qatari universities, totaling over $19 million. The State of Qatar will continue to stand with Haiti and its pathway to stability, recovery, and sustainable development. I thank you, Chair.

I thank the representative of Qatar for his statement, and I now give the floor to the United States of America, His Excellency Mike Waltz.

I thank you, Canada, for convening this important meeting. Colleagues, for decades, the international community has painfully watched Haiti suffer through cycle of violence, cycles of crisis after crisis. In fact, six different, six different UN missions have come and gone over the past 30 years. Billions of dollars have been spent, many by friends of Haiti, many by the countries in this very room, and we have to ask ourselves for what? Valiant efforts, absolutely. Well-intended efforts, most of them, to be sure. But we now have a situation where, despite those efforts, the Haitian institutions have gotten weaker, gangs have gotten stronger. Everyday people in Haiti, even in the region, even in our own countries, have paid the price. Last year, however, thanks to some rare unity in the Security Council, We decided to stop repeating the same mistakes and try something new. We built a new model. And through Security Council Resolution 2793, the Council created the Gang Suppression Force with a very clear mission: go on offense, after the gangs terrorizing the Haitian people. We then put a UN support office behind it to provide the logistics necessary to keep that force in the field. A group of regional countries banded together and joined forces to answer Haiti's call for help. The standing group of partners, as we call it, provides strategic direction, force generation, helps the GSF get the resources it needs. And colleagues, we've started a little bit of a new initiative, or call it Munga, Make the UN Great Again. I often feel like I'm saying it over and over again, but I believe it, and this is a place that needs to get back to basics. And this is one example of, I think, how the UN can become relevant and focused and create a difference for the people that it was created to help. So, colleagues, I'm happy to report that a good number of countries have responded by putting actions behind their words. We've received more than 17,000 personnel pledges for the 5,500 authorized billets. Think about that for a moment. We have more than three times as many personnel pledged as positions available. We now have 1,200 troops on the ground as we speak, 2,500 slated to be there within months towards that 5,500 authorization. I want to particularly thank Chad, El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, the Dominican Republic, and I -- it's not a comprehensive list. There are many other countries putting soldiers and capabilities behind this mission. I also want to thank Germany in particular. We -- they answered our very recent call on strategic airlift that was so badly needed to get these troops and their equipment into Haiti faster, because, as we've all stated today, the people desperately need their help. And colleagues, I just want to talk about where the GSF has evolved over the last year. This was literally this time last year, a concept that we were negotiating in the council. Now here we are a year later. I was able to go visit just a few months ago. We have a Mongolian commander and his team on the ground. I have to say, as a former soldier, this team is the real deal. They are focused, they're planning, and they are moving forward with clearing roads that are blocked and used as toll collection mechanisms by the gangs. It's how they raise money. They're dismantling their revenue sources, and they're securing, once again, critical infrastructure that the people need to live their everyday lives. like the port in Port-au-Prince, the airport that has been shut down now for years, electricity and other key areas. So now we need to support this force and give them the people, the equipment, the resources they need to sustain it. Look, I have to say, as pleased as we were with the pledges, we need all of the countries to follow through with these pledges, as pleased as we are with the pledges to the trust fund, We need those checks to actually come in. Now, just to update those in the room, we are in the midst of negotiating the renewal on the Security Council, the mandate renewal, and we cannot find ourselves having spent the last year building this force up to put that mandate renewal in any type of jeopardy. The Council knew exactly what it was authorizing last year. With Resolution 2793, now is not the time to retreat from that decision. We cannot allow Haiti's security and the region's stability to become leverage in some unrelated geopolitical fights or conflicts or disputes that have nothing to do with the security of the Haitian people. Last year, to be candid, there were those who broke silence during these negotiations, but ultimately, ultimately did not object to moving forward with the gang suppression force. And we hope that position, that position must continue. We need to let it get to work because colleagues, while we debate words on paper here, The gangs are not stopping with their terror. They're not going to sit by and wait for us to exchange politely worded letters. We need, as I'm sure you heard from the Prime Minister, we need to get Haiti back to its people. So, colleagues, I'll just conclude by saying we've tried a different model here. We have countries that were willing to join us in that effort. We now have thousands of personnel pledged and the resources to support them. It's time to finish what we've started and get the Haitian people the security they need so that they can then have the foreign direct investment, the economic growth, the education, the healthcare, and the other pieces that the Haitian people rightly deserve. And I thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador, for that timely update and reminder of where we need to go. Very, very much appreciated. I now turn to the representative of El Salvador, Her Excellency Adriana Mira, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Thank you, Ambassador. The crisis that's affecting Haiti is still very complex. More than 6.4 people require humanitarian assistance and close to 1.5 million are internally displaced. Half of them are boys and girls. So these figures confirm that humanitarian response is still indispensable, but it cannot be conceived as a permanent response. Institutional security and stability and development need to go in parallel and reinforce each other. For El Salvador, the progress made in the area of security should be consolidated. The recovery of the space against the gang should translate into an effective presence of the state, the establishment of basic services, more access to justice, and new opportunities for the community. The commitment of El Salvador towards Haiti has been shown through time from MINUSAS to the GSF. Our contingent is comprised of hundreds of Salvadoran soldiers. Our experience has shown that to regain this condition of security can open avenues of transformation, but this should be coupled with solid institutions, opportunities for the youth, and a sustained long-term vision. This advisory board has a particular value to connect this immediate response with cooperation for development in a way that's more predictable, coherent, and aligned with Haiti's priorities. In the context of the renewal of the GSF mandate, El Salvador calls to include an adequate regime in terms of privileges of the personnel so that we can comply with the forces mandate and overcome the weaknesses that have been identified. We need to have clear rules, a plan, a procedure, and less bureaucracy. El Salvador will continue to support Haiti at the United Nations and on the ground with a firm commitment with its security, stability, and development.

Thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency.

Floor to the representative of Spain, Her Excellency Susana Sumelzo Jordan, Secretary of State for Ibero-American and Caribbean Affairs.

Muchas gracias, President.

Thank you, Mr. President. Many of us that took the floor and many others, we have had a meeting of foreign ministers of Ibero-American ministers, at the initiative of the Dominican Republic, we have all unanimously approved a common position of Ibero-American countries to support stability, security, and the sustainable development of Haiti. That's the first thing I wanted to stress. The entire Ibero-American nations are in support of Haiti. We're also here because we're aware of the worsening crisis in Haiti. which continues to face critical moments. And that effort of the international community, led by the United Nations, with the involvement of the OAS and CARICOM, have not yet succeeded in achieving a sustainable improvement in the situation. So we believe the creation of the GSF, with a large contingent of personnel on the ground, is undoubtedly a step forward. But efforts must be redoubled to ensure a swift and effective deployment, close collaboration with the Haitian police and armed forces, and actions that respect and guarantee human rights. Spain supports the ongoing efforts in the Security Council to renew and strengthen its mandate. Restoring security is indispensable to recover and have elections again, but we also must work in parallel to develop a long-term strategy that addresses the root causes of violence and inequality with a particular focus on disarmament, demobilization, and integration. so that Haiti's active participation in this entire process is indispensable. We're particularly concerned about arms smuggling, which originates almost entirely from abroad. So we should focus our efforts in preventing this. Spain remains steadfast in its commitment to Haiti. In addition, We've contributed 1 million euros to the OAS Peace and Stabilization Operations Programs. Our embassy has remained open, and we have tripled our humanitarian assistance in recent years, which now amounts to almost 12 million euros. You can count on our commitment to continue working in a coordinated manner to help Haiti overcome this critical situation as soon as possible so that it can move forward on the path of development, growth, and progress. Thank you.

Thank the representative from Spain and I now turn the floor to the representative from the Caribbean Community or CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Carla Barnett, who is the Secretary General.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Excellencies, the Organization of American States High-Level Inter-American and International Delegation Mission to Haiti in mid-August of this year, in which I participated as the representative of the Caribbean community, came away from Haiti with the clear conclusion that strong coordination and collective activity must remain at the forefront of our efforts to support the long-term stability and development of Haiti. Shortly after, the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group visited Haiti at the beginning of September to engage with political actors, including the new parties and coalitions, which are emerging to facilitate dialogue among the various stakeholders and interests involved in the electoral process. Both missions have provided us with updated information on the situation on the ground, including the progress made on the electoral preparations and addressing the security challenges. Some progress has been made by the Provisional Electoral Council with the implementation of the electoral decree and the publication of deadlines for the registration of voters and candidates ahead of the first round of elections currently scheduled for the 13th of December, 2026. However, challenges persist, which hinder the ability of persons to register to vote and of candidates to meet the requirements or approval to participate in the elections. Critically, it is very difficult for persons and candidates to safely move around the country as many of the main highways are controlled by the armed gangs. A minimum level of effective security must be achieved in order that persons can safely move around to participate in the upcoming elections, whether as voters or as candidates. The renewal of the GSF mandate is critical, as is the rapid deployment of troops at the level required. We urge the international partners to work in concert to ensure that troops have timely and adequate airlift, equipment, and resources to provide an increased security presence with urgency. Simultaneously, efforts to strengthen Haiti's justice systems must be redoubled to support the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration strategy. In this regard, we welcome the launch of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund. On the humanitarian front, we also commend the ongoing work by international partners to address growing health, food, education, and migration issues that beset the Haitian population. Excellencies, at the heart of the matter, the outlook for Haiti remains one in need of energized and harmonized international support. coordination has become a critical enabling factor to avoid duplication and to ensure that the pressing needs of the Haitian people are addressed. We must continue to work in solidarity and shared commitment with our regional and international partners in assisting the people and the institutions of Haiti to develop and implement solutions by Haiti, for Haiti, and of Haiti. The people of Haiti are counting on us to stand with them as they strive to move towards stability, democratic renewal, and long-term sustainable development. We must not let them down. I thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you, Representative Karakom, for her statement. And I now turn to Turkey, His Excellency Zeki Lavant Gorunzu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.

And thanks to Canada for organizing this meeting and for their leadership in this group. In fact, I took the floor, but everything that I wanted to say has already been said and much more eloquently than I can ever do, so I decided not to repeat them. But I also realized in the meantime that we are one of the few countries from outside the region to attend this meeting and take the floor. So I thought it might be interesting to some maybe why a country like Turkey from thousands of kilometers away care that much for Haiti. So I wanted to clarify that for you. That's first and foremost because Based on our limited but very teaching experience, we know what Haitian people are capable of, what a big potential they have, and how much they deserve to benefit from the talent, resources, and opportunities existing in Haiti, as Prime Minister mentioned, in fact. And also, we know that a stable, secure, and prosperous Haiti is going to be a security provider in this region, rather than a security consumer. So we believe that our support to Haiti is In fact, I mean, an investment in not only in the future of Haiti, but in the future of this region, which is of course, indispensable for global security and politics. And secondly, because we see international security as indivisible. And we believe that even a crisis in a small country like Haiti will have an impact on other regions in all parts of the world. So that's why we believe that, I mean, we have to act. None of the countries in the world can stay indifferent to what's happening in Haiti and that we have to act with a sense of shared responsibility for our common security. So this is why, as Turkey, we have long contributed to UN's efforts to maintain and to restore security, either by our police forces or through financial and we will certainly continue doing that. And if I may, though, of course, our contributions to security is so valuable and must continue, either through GSF or other means. But they can by no means, of course, substitute in Haitian-led and Haitian-owned process. That is a must for sustainable stability, recovery, and long-term development, of course. And that can also be possible, of course, only through fair and credible elections and the establishment strong national institutions that will fight corruption, that will provide inequality, but that will also restore hope in the minds of the young Haitians for a future without gangs. And we will continue to support Haiti in that vitally important process as well. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Excellency, for that timely intervention. I now turn to the representative from Cuba. Her Excellency Anayansi Rodriguez Camejo, who is the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Thank you, Ambassador. Once again, we are gathered. We have the urgent need to address the multidimensional crisis that Haiti is facing, that continues to suffer the consequences of centuries of colonial and neocolonial exploitation and also foreign actions. Haiti requires a genuine response by the international community. Its people needs cooperation and solidarity. For decades, Cuba has provided our sister nation collaboration. Since 1998, our health cooperation staff has supported Haiti uninterruptedly. Currently, There is a brigade comprised of more than 50 Cubans, continuing to provide health services in the south of the country. Cuban solidarity has also extended to other areas for development in Haiti, such as education, culture, water resources, fisheries, and the environment. Cuba urges all governments and international organizations and donors to double their efforts to mobilize the financial resources that are necessary to facilitate technology transfer, promote capacity building nationally, and to honor the commitments and the aid for development for Haiti. All cooperation efforts must respond to the needs of the Haitian people. and should be conducted respecting their sovereignty, their independence, their government, their institution, and the right of their people to decide freely their own destiny. Thank you.

Colleagues, we're at time. I'm very sorry. We have a hard stop at noon, and I would like to give the Minister of Foreign Affairs the ability to finish. I would like to correct the record, and I apologize sincerely for countries who have come and who have supported the mission and who did not get a chance to speak. Again, sincerely apologize. I would like to correct the record before we turn the final conclusion over to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary of State for Canada misspoke when he called pledging when he said, he should have said pleaders instead of countries, he said countries. And so he included an entity that was not a country in that list. And so I just want to correct the record. Thank you. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Thank you. I apologize for those who cannot share their comments. I would really love to hear them, but I understand we're out of time. I would love to receive the statements, if you don't mind. Thank you so much. I will do my address in French.

Excellences, Mesdames, Messieurs.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. So Haiti presented its candidacy to for the 2027 elections. So I would like to reiterate the commitment to continue to show the progress of implementation of SDGs and to identify the gaps and the need, the humanitarian needs, especially when it comes to statistical needs and core and institutional coordination with the support and the help of UN organizations. In the honor of the Republic of Haiti, I'd like to express our sincere thanks to the ECOSOC Council of the UN to have dedicated this dialogue to Haiti's future and to have the interventions today have shown that we have shared beliefs, security, economic development, economic development and the government's development are not competing priorities, but are different dimensions of the same our project of nation rebuilding. There's no progress can be made if these pillars do not advance. Simultaneously, the prime minister shared his vision, a vision of Haiti that goes from a logic of assistance to a logic of innovation, job creation, and partnership. So this ambition is based on concrete perspectives of development and a resolve to work with regional and international partners. The Minister of Defence on his end reminded us that economic transformation cannot happen without a significant improvement of the security environment. The efforts that have been put into place to strengthen the capacity of the national defense to fight against illicit flows and to restore state authority needs to be accompanied by international cooperation. All these interventions show the same reality. Haiti is progressing with lucidity, with responsibility, and with determination. But the challenges are important, but they do not define our country necessarily. We want to reiterate our willingness to build stronger institutions, a more competitive economy, and a more resilient economy. Ladies and gentlemen, I just want to reiterate my gratitude to international organizations, member states who continue to accompany the state, the Haitian people, all the confidence that you have expressed towards Haiti that continue to give us precious support. The Haitian government will continue to create favorable conditions for credible, free and fair elections, considered to consolidate the rule of law and to restart the economy. So these goals are in line with the legitimate ambitions of the Haitian people. Ladies and gentlemen, this meeting is not the end of our dialogue, but an opening of our partnerships and the ideas that have been expressed today should now be translated into decisions. We ask our partners to continue to work with us because investing in Haiti's stability means investing in the stability of our region. strengthening the capacity of the Haitian state is to contribute to a more durable peace, more efficient cooperation, and more shared prosperity. The history will not remember the difficulties that we faced, but will retain the collective will that we've shown to overcome them. So let us make it so that this This meeting will be the result of a renewed will based on shared responsibilities. We should move forward with the same determination to reestablish security, to strengthen democratic order, disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration, as well as on the economic recovery. All these pillars are interdependent pillars of the same effort. None of these pillars can be successful alone. If we neglect one pillar, we weaken the others. This would compromise our capacity to find a sustainable way out of the Haitian crisis. To conclude, I say this with humility. wherever there is injustice, that there's a threat to justice everywhere. Today, Haiti reminds us that the dignity of our people cannot be... We in Haiti, we're defending all the values that we share together, peace, justice, human dignity. Today, Haiti is not just asking for solidarity. It is also asking for shared responsibility for security, for dignity, for development, and for the future of its people. Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

That Canada erroneously referred to Taiwan as a GSF financial pleasure country in its statement. I just want to make it clear. So Chinese side firmly opposes this and it expresses our strong dissatisfaction. And want to reiterate that one China principle is a prevailing international consensus and a basic norm in international relations. Taiwan has no independent status as a province of China. And the UNGA Resolution 2758 reaffirmed that there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. So we hope that everybody can realize this. And on Haiti, China is deeply concerned about the multifaceted crisis in Haiti and the continuous deterioration of the ground situation. And we support the joint efforts of Haiti, the regional countries, and the international community to adopt a comprehensive approach and address the crisis by tackling the root causes. At the same time, we stress that military means Military means alone cannot resolve the Haiti crisis. It is imperative to focus on the root causes of the violence, including prolonged political instability, governance failure, and social hardship. And the long-term solution to Haiti's crisis lies first and foremost with Haiti itself. The Haitian authority must shoulder the primary responsibility for governance, advance an inclusive political process, strengthen the rule of law, and combat corruption and impunity, improve people's livelihood. And China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in helping Haiti achieve lasting peace and prosperity. Thank you, Chair.

Shishi, I have corrected the record on behalf of the Secretary of State. He did indeed misspeak. Thank you. I won't repeat everything that has been said. I appreciate the support that is in this room.

Thank you to everyone.

Thank you to everyone.

That we'd like to thank you for the occasion to speak. And we all have an obligation to maintain. We all have to respect the limits when it comes to time.

Be with Haiti right now. We need to be supportive of Haiti right now in whatever way our countries can. I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I thank Carlos. I thank the speakers that we heard today. We need to move forward together. Haiti has suffered enough. We need to be in partnership with them as they lead us to a solution. Thank you.

And thank you, Canada, for this co-presidency.

Thank you.