The question concerning Haiti - Security Council, 10241st meeting

The 10,241st meeting of the Security Council is called to order. The provisional agenda for this meeting is the question concerning Haiti. The agenda is adopted. In accordance with rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Haiti to participate in this meeting. It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2026/806, the text of a draft resolution submitted by Panama and the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. Will those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document S/2026/806 please raise their hand? Those against? Abstentions? The result of the voting is as follows. 14 votes in favor, 0 votes against, 1 abstention. The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 2831 of 2026. I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the vote. I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Madam President. First, I would like to thank our co-Penholder, Panama, for its constructive leadership on this resolution. The United States also stands with Panama in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck its country. As Panama's term on the Security Council nears its end, we'd like to extend a warm thank you for two great years of collaboration as our Penholder. We are deeply grateful for your dedication to peace and security in Haiti as we work together towards a more secure and prosperous Western Hemisphere. We welcome the extension of the mandate of the Haiti Panel of Experts and the renewal of the travel ban, asset freeze, and arms embargo measures for another year. As Haiti continues the fight to regain control of its country, the United States wishes to make a clarifying point to all member states as it relates to the territorial arms embargo. The arms embargo does not apply to the sale, supply, or transfer of arms and related material or the provision of related assistance and training to the government of Haiti intended solely to further objectives of peace and stability. Today's vote is yet another unwavering signal that the international community stands with the people of Haiti. Just a few weeks ago, this Council reauthorized a novel mission that is uniquely designed to address immediate security threats in Haiti and to promote peace and stability in the country. In that regard, the United States encourages the international community to support Haiti's National Commission for Disarmament, Dismantlement, and Reintegration. This initiative will be key to tackling the gangs that are destabilizing the country and offer a pathway towards peace. Consistent with the resolution, we also call upon the Haitian government to adopt a decree regulating the exploitation of baby eels, also known as elvers, and related trade. This illicit exploitation of this wildlife is fueling armed groups and criminal networks in the country and depriving the Haitian people of their resources. The United States will also continue to consider designations through the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies to ensure UN sanctions lists are fit for purpose. These sanctions are key components of a broader international effort to promote peace and stability in Haiti and in the region. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Panama.

Thank you, Madam President. Given that this is most likely the last resolution that we will present before this Council in our capacity as co-penholder on the Haiti file, we wish to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to each and every one of the Council's members. We thank those who are now with us this year, as well as those that were in 2025. We are grateful to you all for your readiness to engage in dialogue, your constructive spirit and your commitment over the last almost two years of collaboration. We also wish to express our gratitude to the countries of our region. Their support and sustained commitment over time to the sisterly Republic of Haiti have been pivotal in championing and international response commensurate with the challenges faced by that country. We wish to extend particularly sincere gratitude to our co-penholder, the United States of America. We thank them for their close cooperation, their shared leadership, their commitment throughout the entirety of this process. We have engaged in many negotiations, text revision processes, and we've had long days of working side by side. These all reflect the effort and the devotion that we have both embraced over the last almost two years. Together, we've had the privilege and the responsibility of contributing to strengthening this Council's response to one of the most pressing crises besetting our region. Going back to the issue under consideration today, we wish to underscore that sanctions related to Haiti, and in particular the effective implementation of the arms embargo, stand as crucial tools with which to tackle the violence that continues to beleaguer the country. As we have warned on several occasions, to tackle violence in Haiti, it is pivotal to also tackle the networks that allow the gangs to perpetuate and expand their criminal activities. The symbiotic relationship that has been broadly documented between specific sectors of political and economic elites and the gangs that today hold hostage the sisterly Republic of Haiti cannot be left on the margins of this Council's efforts. As such, in our view, it is necessary to embrace the recommendations of the panel of experts and to forge ahead with including new individuals on the list of sanctions, particularly those who, using positions of power and influence, contribute to the financing of these structures and turn a profit from their criminal activities. Against this backdrop, we are of the view that we must recall that the effectiveness of sanctions regimes depends not only on the measures that this Council adopts, but also on our ability and sense of responsibility as member states in terms of guaranteeing compliance with the measures adopted. We cannot allow these mechanisms to find themselves weakened by practices designed to evade implementation of the sanctions. On the contrary, we must step up efforts to close the loopholes which facilitate sanction evasion. We must also preserve their credibility and effectiveness as tools for maintenance of international peace and security. Madam President, as we come to the end of our term on this Council, Panama and its people wish to reaffirm their commitment to the sisterly Republic of Haiti and to the Haitian people. The responsibility of the international community does not come to an end with the adoption of this resolution. Rather, it demands that sustained attention be given to the various facets of this crisis. We trust that this Council will continue to work with the same spirit of resolve to support the Haitian people in their efforts to achieve the security and the stability to which the country and its people have a right and that for so long have remained out of their grasp. I thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of China.

President, China welcomes the Council's adoption of the resolution extending the mandate of the sanctions regime on Haiti for one year. I recognize the efforts of the co-panholders, and would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sanctions Committee and the Panel of Experts for their work over the past year. The Council's sanctions regime against Haitian gangs is an important tool for curbing gang-related violence and crime and improving the security situation in Haiti. Through China's efforts and those of other Council members, the sanctions regime has been developing and improving since its establishment, and has now evolved into a comprehensive institutional framework. At the same time, it must be noted that the sanctions regime alone cannot automatically improve the Haitian security situation. Member States must take concrete actions to ensure effective implementation of the sanctions measures. The current situation in Haiti remains grave. As several UN reports indicate, Haitian gangs continue to obtain large quantities of weapons and ammunition from abroad, posing a serious threat to the safety and security of the Haitian people and that of the international forces. The resolution just adopted expresses grave concern over the continued flow of illicit weapons And once again, issues are clear call for the full and effective implementation of the arms embargo. We urge member states, especially the country that is the main source of illicit weapons and ammunition for Haiti, to take urgent and decisive measures to combat arms trafficking at the source and support the sanctions committee and the panel of experts as they continue their work to monitor progress in implementation. will work closely with fellow Council members to continue advancing the sanctions listing process based on comprehensive, objective facts and thorough discussions, thereby creating a powerful deterrence on criminal gangs. President, the sanctions regime is just one of the tools for addressing Haiti's multiple crises. Ultimately, breaking Haiti out of its predicament depends on the country's own political will and concrete efforts. All political parties and factions in Haiti must demonstrate a sense of responsibility, strengthen unity, and effectively advance a political process that is Haitian-led and Haitian-owned. The Haitian authorities must truly assume the primary responsibility for maintaining security and improving governance, combat corruption and impunity, impunity and eliminate the breeding ground for violence. Together with the international community, China will continue supporting the Haitian people in finding the right path out of the crisis at an early date. Thank you, President.

I thank the representative of China for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Madam President, the Russian Federation abstained during the vote. on the United States and Panama's draft resolution of the Security Council renewing the sanctions regime on Haiti. Our delegation took a responsible approach to negotiations on the draft, adopting a constructive participation in the negotiation process. The document that was submitted for the Council's consideration introduces seemingly noble elements that conceal serious risks. the creating the possibility to sanction individuals that are accused of misappropriation, embezzlement, and diversion of public resources. And this expansive wording is not directly linked to the core listing criteria enshrined in the sanctions regime created by Security Council Resolution 2653. Let me state right away that Russia's position during the vote is in no way motivated by a desire to protect corrupt officials or to demonstrate a particular attitude vis-a-vis the Haitian political elite. We are of the understanding that in the context of the extremely fragile political process in the country, any external interference in it can only exacerbate an already complex situation. The introduction of essentially a new sanctions criterion creates the risk of reshaping the country's political landscape in the interests of outside players through the advancement of controversial decisions in the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee. We declare responsibly that we will thoroughly study all listings proposals based on reliable sources of information in the concrete country context and time context. On the whole, we are forced to agree with the assessments of the panel of experts that the 2653 sanctions regime is highly ineffective and that there is a low level of compliance with sanctions, both in Haiti and, first and foremost, in the countries from where arms are being smuggled. If these states took effective measures to staunch the flow of weapons, then the problem of the gangs stranglehold and security problems in this Caribbean state and in general would be much less acute. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of France.

Madame President, Madame President. The Security Council is determined to restore peace and security in Haiti and to support the restoration of democratic institutions and the rule of law in the country. We're doing that to allow all of the Haitian people to escape the chaos and the suffering that they have faced for too long. Two weeks ago, the Council renewed the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force. This force has a robust mandate and has the invaluable support of the United Nations. It will strive to loosen the stranglehold of criminal gangs to put an end to their senseless violence against the Haitian people and to resume territorial control. Today, through resolution 2831, we renew the sanctions regime and the arms embargo on Haiti. France wishes to thank the missions of the United States and Panama for their support. their constructive efforts, which have made it possible to achieve this goal. This resolution comprises staunch and comprehensive measures adopted by this Council to dry up flows of weapons and munitions, as well as the flows of financing which fuel criminal gangs, misappropriation, embezzlement, and the diversion of public funds have been identified as a source of major concern and will continue to be subject to particularly acute attention. Madam President, the task before us is colossal, just as the responsibility of this Council is. The Haitian Provisional Electoral Council announced a few days ago that elections would be postponed because the stability required for their proper conduct is not in place for the Haitian people to deliver their opinion as as possible with full freedom and sovereignty at elections, we must step up our efforts and implement the decisions taken by this Council. We must do so by accelerating the deployment of the GSF to allow it to be operational as soon as possible, and by adding to the list of sanctions individuals which support and finance the gangs. Information regarding these individuals are available. Let us take action to combat impunity. and not allow those threatening the stability of Haiti and its people to lay down the law. Let us return the freedom to the Haitian people that stems from their security. Thank you.

Thanks for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Liberia.

Thank you, Madam President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and my own country, Liberia. The Haiti welcomes the adoption of resolution 2831 of 2026, renewing the Haiti sanctions regime and the mandate of the panel of experts. We thank the co-pen holders, Panama and the United States, for their leadership and constructive engagement. By voting in favor, The A3 reaffirms its determination to confront the gangs terrorizing Haiti, their communities, and to hold accountable those who arm, finance, or otherwise enable them. These measures are targeted. They are directed at perpetrators and their enablers, not at Haiti or its people. Today's decision builds on resolution 2794 of 2025 and complements resolution 2829 of 2026, which renewed the Gang Suppression Force. These two instruments serve distinct but mutually reinforcing purposes. The force confronts gang violence on the ground, while sanctions disrupt the networks that sustain it. We welcome the continued application of designation criteria related to the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources, the reaffirmation of the humanitarian exemption, and the attention given to due process. We underline that any listing must rest on credible evidence. and established criteria. Children recruited by gangs must be treated primarily as victims, and those who recruit them must be held accountable. We welcome the Council's call for urgent and decisive implementation of the arms embargo. The weapons fueling violence in Haiti are not manufactured in Haiti. Preventing their trafficking and diversion is our shared responsibility, particularly for states of origin and transit. Controls must apply across the supply chain, from manufacture and export to transit and delivery. We therefore call on all states to strengthen marking tracing, record-keeping, export, and end-user controls, as well as law enforcement cooperation consistent with the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the International Tracing Instrument. We welcome that the Gang Suppression Force will report to the Panel of Experts any diversion of weapons, and we urge full cooperation with the Committee and the Panel. Effective implementation also requires sustained support for Haiti's police, customs, border, and justice institutions. The Secretary-General's assessment of progress against benchmarks should guide assistance and identify gaps. The A3's position is clear. Perpetrators must be held accountable. External enablers must assume their responsibilities. The Haitian people must be protected, and Haitian ownership must remain central, with sanctions and the force reinforcing, not replacing, Haitian institutions. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Liberia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Latvia.

Thank you, Madam President. We welcome the adoption of the resolution extending Haiti sanctions regime for one year and thank the penholders, the United States and Panama, for their dedicated and constructive leadership. Latvia voted in favour of the renewal of the Haiti sanctions regime, reaffirming our commitment to supporting efforts to restore democratic governance and rule of law in Haiti. As illicit trafficking and diversion of weapons are fueling gang violence and continue to be a major challenge. We welcome the focus on the arms embargo, including the need to strengthen its full and effective implementation. We are pleased to see that a particular importance in this resolution is given to the need for a comprehensive approach to disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration in Haiti, including preventing the recruitment of children. We recall that the children, first and foremost, are the victims of the gang violence in Haiti. We also welcome the inclusion of additional conditions that strengthen the framework for accountability on misappropriation, embezzlement, and diversion of public resources in Haiti. And we believe that these provisions represent an important step towards ensuring that sanctions can respond more effectively to a conduct that erodes state institutions fuels insecurity, and deprives the Haitian people of resources essential to public services and national development. We therefore support the renewal as an important instrument that, alongside broader political, security, and development efforts, can contribute to restoring stability and advancing a peaceful, secure, and democratic future for Haiti. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Latvia for the statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

Thank you, Madam President. Colombia, we salute to particularly.

We particularly wish to extend hearty greetings to the permanent representative of Haiti. He is with us today at this meeting. Colombia wishes particularly to see the restoration of the country's constitutional institutions, but also and most specifically, we wish to see the government retake full control of its territory. In our experience, without security, there can be no peace, and there will be no ability to restore constitutional order and the state's authority.

Colombia thanks the penholders, the United States of America, and Panama for their efforts and in the adoption of this resolution. The consensus among council members reflect at least the need to reestablish also in the future national ownership. This is a path for national ownership. and the people of Haiti really needs to go through this process, given the lack of control of the element, of the essential elements of the territory from international perspective, but also from the government. The challenge is overwhelming. We strongly encourage to reflect on the designations of the resolutions. If we know that 70% of the control of Port Principal is in the hands of gangs, and we have only nine designations for nine individuals and two entities. It seems that these people cannot be just the ones that are creating the humanitarian and the violence in the country. The Council should review the extent of those designations to include as well other criminal activities. We believe that in the path of national ownership, the travel ban, the asset freeze, and especially the arms embargo are essential tools. We also believe that part of the benchmarks of recovering the national ownership is also the support of the international community towards a constitutional reform, an institutional system, which needs naturally also economic investment in the region. This is not just an effort to provide security. If we are serious about returning to Haiti national ownership, the resolution is part of an effort, but it's not the only tool of the Security Council, and we do share the view of others here that AC also naturally has to do his own efforts. Senora Presidente.

Madam President, as a Latin American country, we particularly endorse and express gratitude for the efforts of the USA and Panama on this resolution. Colombia supports unreservedly these efforts. Our delegation also supports the work of the Panel of Experts, its findings, its recommendations. Colombia wishes to underscore that violence in Haiti cannot be tackled in isolation from regional dynamics of organized crimes, transnational organized crimes, indeed. Against that backdrop, we wish to underscore the particular concern that is something which is unique to this situation and that is the supply of and then the production of drugs. This is a continent-wide global phenomenon but it's also a conflict within a conflict. The presence of drug traffickers in the region and the fact that transnational criminal industries having a role to play in conflicts such as is the case in Haiti. This is all relevant where arms trafficking and drug trafficking are concerned and the international community must remain watchful of these phenomenon. Phenomena rather. It should if necessary ultimately extend aid to Haiti bearing those factors in mind. There is no doubt that the financing of criminal organisations and criminal gangs in Haiti. is being done using international resources that are coming from international organizations working in drug trafficking and arms smuggling. Colombia will continue to support the Haitian people and will continue to support efforts spearheaded by the country's authorities to restore the state's authority, security, to strengthen Haitian institutions, and to ultimately implement a sovereign, independent, rule of law, and ensure there is an economically prosperous state. Thank you, President.

Thank you, representative of Colombia, for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Thank you, Madam President. Pakistan thanks Panama and the United States for their work on the draft resolution. Objective and judicious application of U.N. sanctions in a targeted manner remains an indispensable tool for the maintenance and restoration of international peace and security. An effective and robust implementation by all Member States and Haitian stakeholders of the sanctions measures renewed today can help remedy the acute security crisis long fueled by the illicit flow of finances and arms that enable gangs to perpetrate violence against the Haitian people. Our positive vote today reflects our commitment and support for the collective efforts of the international community to restore peace and stability in Haiti. Sanctions cannot and must not be considered as an end in itself. While effective implementation of these sanctions remains a prerequisite, other underlying factors and root causes of instability also need an effective redressal. We appreciate the penholders, Panama and the United States, for highlighting the importance of DDR and UNHIT Peace Dividends Fund in the preamble of the resolution. We also value the inclusion of language on the due process and focal point mechanisms, and last but not least, the need for effective implementation of these sanctions. President, we support the work of 2653 Committee, including considering, deliberating, and deciding on further listings. We also value the work of the relevant panel of experts in promoting evidence-based and informed decision-making process. We regret that the 2653 committee, like all other subsidiary bodies of the council, is paralyzed due to lack of agreement on the appointment of their chairs and vice chairs. This impasse has had a negative effect on their substantive business. We once again call for an early resumption of the committee's routine functioning. To conclude, Madam President, We support all efforts to bring stability to Haiti, while respecting Haiti's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the political choices made by Haiti to overcome its current challenges. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Pakistan for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Madam President. United Kingdom voted in favour of this resolution and welcomes its adoption. We thank the United States and Panama for your work as penholders. The United Kingdom condemns the violence that continues to undermine efforts to restore democratic rule and stability in Haiti. The UN sanctions regime and arms embargo remain essential tools to address insecurity in Haiti and to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people. We should take action to implement this regime and to embrace the recommendations of the panel of experts. We welcome the Council's focus on the misappropriation and diversion of public resources and remain deeply concerned by widespread sexual and gender-based violence in Haiti. The United Kingdom will continue to work in support of Haiti and her people. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for the statement. I will now give the floor to the representative of Haiti.

Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I wish at the outset to hail the Greek presidency of the Security Council for October. I wish to thank all Council members for their unstinting focus on the situation in Haiti. The Republic of Haiti welcomes the adoption of the resolution renewing the sanctions regime established pursuant to resolution 2653. This decision bears witness to the Council's determination to continue efforts aiming at combating the criminal networks that threaten the peace, security and stability of our country and the region. My delegation also wishes to thank the co-penholders on Haiti, that is Panama and the United States. and we also thank Council members for their efforts to bring about the adoption of this text. Madam President, the report of the Secretary-General, published as S/2026/716, as well as that of the Panel of Experts on Haiti, shed light on the complex nature of the security challenges that our country continues to face. These reports underscore the fact that the capacity of armed groups to do harm is not only rooted in their criminal activities, but also in the existence of networks which finance, supply and support these criminal networks. These are sometimes facilitated by national and international actors that have economic resources and political influence. In this connection, Haiti is of the view that it is vital to ensure that the sanctions regime tackle all of the mechanisms which fuel and perpetuate violence. This while ensuring stringent adherence to listing criteria, procedural safeguards and evidentiary standards. Sanctions cannot be an end in themselves. Their effectiveness must be measured by their real ability to reduce the resources of criminal groups and to contribute to the restoration of security. Madam President, in spite of the sizeable constraints facing Haiti, the Haitian state is continuing its efforts to strengthen its national institutions. These efforts are namely being translated into the gradual strengthening of the Haitian National Police, the consolidation of the Haitian Armed Forces, and the operationalization of specialized judicial structures in the fight against criminal financing and mass crimes. However, these national initiatives can only be fully effective with consistent, predictable international support, which is tailored to needs identified on the ground. Haiti remains particularly concerned by the illicit circulation of weapons and munitions. This continues to fuel the activities of criminal groups. It is important to recall that this phenomenon extends far beyond national borders. Preventing this phenomenon demands strengthened cooperation between states of origin, transit and destination, namely in terms of monitoring cargo, ensuring arms tracing and the sharing of intelligence, as well as tackling smuggling networks. Consequently, we welcome the expert recommendations regarding the registration, stockpiling, management and traceability of weapons and munitions seized during GSF operations. We also endorse recommendations regarding the reporting of material loss. These mechanisms must support and not replace Haitian institutional control over the weapons seized. The arms embargo can only achieve its goals if its implementation is rigorous, effective, and a matter of shared responsibility by states concerned. President, my delegation also wishes to recall the importance of ensuring international commitments are translated into specific operational capacity. We also reaffirm the need to support national capacities to conduct investigations and inquiries, ensure justice is done and fight against impunity. It's also important that international efforts support our efforts in terms of DDR. All of this must be part of an overall comprehensive approach which looks at the rule of law, protection of civilians, and the restoration of essential services, the fight against corruption, and the creation of an environment propitious to a political and electoral process which are credible. As we renew this sanctions regime, the Security Council reaffirms its responsibility in terms of searching for a lasting solution to the Haitian crisis. I can say to you that all the comments that have been made here will be faithfully transmitted to Haitian authorities. It is now incumbent upon all actors concerned to ensure that this decision produces tangible measures. It must lead to the weakening of criminal networks, the reduction of illicit trafficking of weapons, and the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Haitian state. I thank you, Madam President.

I thank the representative of Haiti for that statement.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. The meeting is adjourned.