On Monday, July 20, before the UN Security Council, Dominican Rep. Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez urged the international community to accelerate the deployment of the Gang Supression Force (GSF) in Haiti and to strengthen sanctions against those who finance criminals operating in the country.

During his address, Minister Álvarez warned that simply extending the mission's mandate, approved last September, would not be enough to guarantee the success of security operations in Haiti.

The Dominican Foreign Minister emphasized that of the 5,550 troops authorized to comprise the international force, barely more than 1,000 have been deployed. He stressed the need to expedite the deployment of the remaining contingent.

"We have committed troops, the necessary resources to support them, and an operational command structure." "The main obstacle to its deployment remains logistical," the Minister stated, noting that the limited availability of strategic air transport has delayed the arrival of personnel and equipment.

In this regard, he called on countries with military transport capabilities to collaborate with the mission. "A purely logistical problem should not hinder the international community’s protection of an entire people," he stated.

He also urged member States to more firmly implement the sanctions stipulated in Security Council resolution 2653 against individuals and organizations that finance and support armed groups.

The Foreign Minister affirmed that the measures should not be limited to the leaders of criminal organizations, but should also target those who facilitate arms trafficking, launder illicit funds, or provide material and political support to these groups. "We must fully utilize this instrument to identify and punish those who support and enable the operation of these criminal organizations," he insisted.

Álvarez also reiterated that restoring security is an essential condition for holding elections in Haiti. "Elections do not guarantee security. But security will make elections possible," he told the Security Council members.

The Foreign Minister also commended the Haitian government’s efforts to strengthen its institutions, including the integration of new officers into the National Police, the training of security personnel, and the creation of specialized judicial units to handle the most serious crimes.

Finally, the Dominican Republic expressed its support for renewing the mandate of the Anti-Gang Force and the United Nations Support Office, while emphasizing that "[...] extending the mandate without the full deployment of personnel would amount to making a broken promise."

"We don’t need a new strategy; we need to fully implement the one we have developed," he concluded.

HL/ HaitiLibre