PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Haiti to consolidate its gains so far on the security front by strengthening the rule of law, reforming the judiciary and fighting corruption, and has pledged the continued engagement of the United Nations in the country.
“The time has come to rebuild the institutions that have been destroyed by years of neglect, corruption and violence, to strengthen them so that the State is able to deliver the services that the people need,” Mr. Ban said yesterday in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on the first of his two-day visit.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Haitian President René Préval, the Secretary-General added that the world body’s presence in the country is “a committed and friendly engagement to help Haiti establish its own secure and sustainable future free of violence, discord and want.”
“This time, the United Nations, which has been in your country five times in the past, will not leave until the future is secure,” he stated.
On Thursday, August 2, Mr. Ban visited the slum area of Cité Soleil, where UN peacekeepers have helped to restore order. There he met some students at the site of a school secured by the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) during the recent gang violence in the slum.
Despite the success in dismantling the gangs and improving public order, Mr. Ban has warned that improvements remain fragile, and stressed the need to enhance the capabilities and capacity of the Haitian National Police (HNP) to ensure law and order.
“The international community must not step aside and let spoilers succeed in jeopardizing Haiti’s progress,” he stated.
During his stay, Mr. Ban also has meetings with the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, as well as members of the UN Mission, which currently comprises nearly 9,000 uniformed personnel.
Mr. Ban travels later today to Barbados, which holds the current chairmanship of the Caribbean regional cooperation body known as CARICOM, where he will meet with Government officials and the UN country team.
