UN envoy urges Haitian leaders to break political impasse

UNITED NATIONS -- The UN envoy for Haiti on Thursday urged the Haitian leaders to break the political impasse that has "paralyzed the functioning of Haitian institutions."

Helen Ruth Meagher La Lime, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Haiti, told the Security Council that since July 2018, the political impasse has paralyzed the functioning of Haitian institutions, grieved the country's economy, and fuel continued insecurity.

In July 2018, Haiti's then Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned following deadly violence and looting sparked by a plan to raise fuel prices.

As Haiti is about to enter its second year for the caretaker government, La Lime, briefing the council by video from Port-au-Prince, said the country's economy is forecast to sink deeper into recession, and 4.6 million of its citizens are now estimated to require humanitarian assistance.

Despite some progress made during two rounds of talks since December 2019, she said "political actors have yet to settle on a formula that would lead to the designation by President (Jovenel) Moise of a consensual prime minister and the formation of a new government."

She warned that the effects of the strained economy and the prolonged political polarization were further affecting the integrity and the effectiveness of key Haitian institutions, including national police.

Speaking of the progress at the negotiations, she said a consensus has emerged "on the contours of a political agreement" surrounding four elements: the criteria for the formation of a government, the contents of a reform agenda, the sequencing of a constitutional reform process, and the definition of an electoral calendar.

In October 2019, the UN ended its 15-year-long peacekeeping and justice mission (MINUJUSTH) in Haiti and retained a smaller political mission (BINUH) in the Caribbean country.

BINUH's mandate includes advising the government on issues related to promoting and strengthening political stability and good governance, the rule of law, an inclusive inter-Haitian national dialogue, and protecting and promoting human rights.

La Lime, who heads BINUH, said the deployment of the new mission in October opened a new chapter in the relation between Haiti and the UN, "one premised on a deeper, more targeted collaboration."

She voiced confidence that the UN is "uniquely placed" to help Haitian state institutions address the factors that catalyze instability and ensure that the country is on the path to stability and sustainable development.