UN SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON HAITI,

UNCLAS STATE 093368 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO HA SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON HAITI, SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 ¶1. This is an action request. USUN should draw from the talking points in paragraph 2, as appropriate, during the UN Security Council open debate on Haiti, scheduled for September 9, 2009. This debate provides an opportunity to urge support for the renewal of MINUSTAH,s mandate, and to underscore the USG,s approach to Haiti as one of partnership and coordination with the Government of Haiti on its priorities. ¶2. Begin points. -First, I would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Hedi Annabi, for his dedication to Haiti and leadership of MINUSTAH. I also want to again welcome President Clinton to the Council today. The United States strongly supports his appointment as UN Special Envoy for Haiti. We commend President Clinton for assuming this duty, and are confident that his efforts will lead to sustained international attention and engagement on Haiti. -Despite the major challenges and setbacks caused by the hurricanes and the food crisis of last year, we continue to see progress being made in Haiti. The United States is pleased with the increased political cooperation in Haiti that allowed for Senate elections and the passage of several key pieces of legislation. We urge the Government of Haiti to maintain its efforts to foster an all-inclusive political dialogue, and we thank MINUSTAH for its ongoing support of the electoral process in Haiti. -The United States congratulates the Inter-American Development Bank and Prime Minister Pierre-Louis for the successful conclusion of the April 14 Donors, Conference, which the IDB reported resulted in $353 million in new pledges for Haiti. The United States pledged $57 million in new funding, including $20 million in indirect budget support. We reiterate the need for the Government of Haiti and its partners to continue their efforts to advance economic growth and development in the country, including by supporting the country,s Plan for Reconstruction and Economic Recovery. -The United States welcomed the commitment of donors at the Conference to assist the government of Haiti to address the difficult conditions of daily life for the Haitian people. We thank partners for the commitments they have made to bettering these socioeconomic problems, and call on them to maintain momentum to alleviate such suffering. The United States again underscores our own commitment to partner more closely with the government of Haiti and other donors to respond more effectively to the needs of the Haitian people. -While we are encouraged by the gains made to the security situation, we are acutely aware of the potential threats to Haiti,s stability, including transnational crime, gang violence, and civil unrest. As I continuously stress, there can be no security without development, and there can be no sustained development without security. The United States remains optimistic about the gradual improvements in capabilities of the Haitian National Police (HNP) to meet these challenges. Yet, we recognize that the HNP still lacks the capacity and appropriate training and equipment to respond independently to the diverse threats present in Haiti. To this end, we again commend MINUSTAH, as well as bilateral donors, for the role they play in maintaining a stable environment in the country, and for their technical support and contributions to building up the HNP. We note our renewed efforts to respond to the security priorities of the government of Haiti and a secure environment for the people of Haiti. To complement our renewed efforts in the security sphere, we are looking closely at our investments in the development sphere. This is an initiative that Secretary of State Clinton committed herself and the Department to at the April Donor's Conference. Guided by development priorities set out by the Government of Haiti at the Conference, we are looking at ways in which the United States can be a more effective investor and bilateral partner with Haiti to bring about the human security, economic development and long-term stability required for the eventual drawdown of peacekeeping forces. -The United States stands behind the Secretary-General in his recommendation to extend MINUSTAH,s mandate for an additional year, including the adjustments he proposed to its force configuration. We continue to be optimistic about the advances that have been made to the consolidation plan over the past year, and remain committed to the Mission and to Haiti. We again urge partners to maintain their commitment and to deepen our common effort to stabilize the country. As the Secretary-General has underlined, while the Haitian people have primary responsibility for ensuring the country,s advancement, the continued engagement of the wider international community is essential to realize this historic opportunity for progress, which can facilitate a brighter future for Haiti. -Finally, the United States expresses its sincere appreciation to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and MINUSTAH for their bravery and commitment to the stabilization of Haiti, under the commendable leadership of Brazil and with the steady support from all the Troop and Police Contributing Countries which have provided uniformed personnel to the Mission. End points. CLINTON