Delivered by: Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

Mr. President,

I join others in congratulating Brazil on their assumption of the presidency and thanking Albania for their very capable steermanship of the Council last month.

The world met two weeks ago and the clear call rang out from the General Assembly. It came from Haiti, from the Caribbean Community, and from across the globe. They all spoke in one voice to acknowledge – in the words of the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley – that “the world owes Haiti a resolution”.

Some of those countries who made that call join us here today. We welcome the participation of Haiti, Kenya, Jamaica, and Guyana in today’s meeting.

The international community called on the Security Council to take action, and resolution 2699 answers that call. By voting in favour today, the UAE reaffirms that decisive action, as called for by the Secretary-General of the UN, is necessary to help Haiti back on the path towards peace and stability.

We acknowledge the diligent work and flexibility of the penholders, Ecuador and the United States, and the constructive engagement of all Council Members on this resolution. As a result, the resolution includes safeguards that will ensure that the authorization to deploy a multinational security support mission to Haiti will be implemented effectively and in close coordination with the Government of Haiti. We welcome the willingness of Kenya to lead and other Member States to participate in this Multinational Security Support Mission, and we especially thank Kenya for stepping in so responsibly to contribute to international peace and security in this way.

The text recognises the situation in Haiti is dynamic and continues to escalate rapidly. To respond effectively and appropriately to this challenge, this Council should have entry points to review, adjust, and feed back into the mission mandate as the situation and the plans to respond develop. Because of this, we are pleased to see the inclusion in this resolution of a timebound authorization for 12 months, a mandated review in nine months, and regular reporting to the Council.

We also welcome that this authorisation is not gender blind. Ensuring the mission is adequately equipped to address the horrific sexual and gender-based violence wielded by armed gangs against the people of Haiti must be central to its mandate. We encourage all contributing Member States to invest in dedicated expertise and training for their contingents to respond to such crimes.

As the humanitarian situation in Haiti remains dire, compounded by the ongoing insecurity in the country, we welcome that the multinational mission has a critical role in facilitating safe, unhindered access of humanitarian aid.

Mr. President,

The security support the mission will provide is critical, but it is not a panacea that will transform Haiti into a secure and safe country by itself. We reiterate our call for a holistic, comprehensive, and sustainable response to the challenges Haiti faces. Relevant stakeholders must work together towards an inclusive and inter-Haitian dialogue for a Haitian-led and owned political settlement. This should be in tandem with efforts to reinstate the rule of law across the country, for the sake of the people of Haiti and the region.

We also stress the need for the MSS to coordinate with CARICOM and relevant UN agencies, including BINUH and UNODC, to complement various efforts to support the people and government of Haiti.

For our part, the UAE will remain committed to supporting all efforts towards peace and stability in Haiti.

I thank you.