As delivered
Madam President, Excellencies,
Thank you very much for this opportunity to brief. When I last addressed this Council on 20 July, UNSOH was consolidating the support architecture established under resolution 2793 (2025). Three months later, we are supporting a significantly larger Gang Suppression Force operating across an expanding geographical area.
The six-month mandate renewal under resolution 2829 (2026), adopted on 29 September, comes at an important juncture. As the Force advances towards full operational capability, our focus is increasingly on sustaining its growing operational presence through resilient logistical support, close operational coordination, and robust human rights safeguards.
Allow me to update the Council on progress under UNSOH’s four strategic priorities and the challenges ahead.
Madam President,
Our first priority is to support the deployment and expansion of the Gang Suppression Force.
When I last briefed the Council in July, the Force comprised just over 1,000 personnel. Since then, UNSOH has supported further deployments from Bangladesh, Chad, Guatemala, and Sri Lanka, doubling the Force’s strength on the ground.
UNSOH and the Department of Operational Support have worked diligently to overcome the challenges associated with troop preparedness, availability and transport of equipment, and the need to ensure a strict application of operative paragraph 1 of resolution 2829 (2026) and operative paragraph 10 of resolution 2793 (2025). We therefore expect a significant acceleration in deployments through the end of 2026, resulting in a substantial increase in the Gang Suppression Force’s deployed strength.
The Department of Operational Support and UNSOH have been extremely cost-conscious while ensuring rapid deployments. Just recently we decided to transport the advance party from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka to avail of spare capacity in our chartered aircraft between Colombo and Port-au-Prince, thereby avoiding an expenditure of over USD 1 million for a chartered flight that would otherwise have been required between Dhaka and Port-au-Prince. UNSOH will continue to facilitate the deployment and provide the necessary support to additional contingents as soon as personnel have completed the required screening and preparations and their equipment is ready.
We are deeply grateful for the close and constructive cooperation with the Standing Group of Partners responsible for force generation, particularly the United States, for their continued engagement and close coordination, including when logistical challenges are encountered during deployment. I would also like to thank Belgium and Germany for their contributions to strategic airlift operations and the Dominican Republic for its critical support in facilitating these deployments. The UN also deeply appreciates all contributions to the GSF Trust Fund maintained and operated by the Department of Operational Support.
As the Gang Suppression Force expands, timely coordination of deployment schedules, contingent requirements, and enabling capabilities remains essential. UNSOH continues to adapt its infrastructure and logistical arrangements to ensure that incoming personnel can be received, accommodated, and supported efficiently, enabling them to become operational as quickly as possible.
The Gang Suppression Force’s geographical footprint has also expanded. In early August, UNSOH enabled the first GSF deployment beyond Port-au-Prince, transporting personnel and equipment to the Artibonite Department.
To support this expansion, UNSOH is developing and sustaining eight operational and logistical bases across Haiti, including in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite Department, with Camp Vertières serving as the Force’s principal headquarters and logistics hub. Preparations are also advancing for expansion into a third department, where several hundred personnel are envisaged to operate.
As the Gang Suppression Force grows in strength and geographical reach, UNSOH stands ready to provide the operational and logistical support necessary to sustain its expansion.
Madam President,
Our second priority is to sustain GSF operations.
In this context, I would also like to express my deep concern over yesterday’s attack on GSF personnel and my hope for the safe return of the Salvadoran personnel reported missing. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those serving to restore security in Haiti.
Since July, UNSOH has supported multiple GSF operations, providing transport, communications, fuel, rations and medical assistance. This has included several medical evacuations, supported by established casualty evacuation procedures and regional medical referral arrangements. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Dominican Republic, France and Panama for their support with these arrangements.
We have also strengthened operational readiness through dedicated logistical resupply arrangements, maritime transport capabilities, and more responsive communications and technical support.
As the Gang Suppression Force expands in size and geographical reach, resilient supply and support chains become increasingly important. UNSOH is aligning its engineering, transport, aviation, medical, communications, and supply chain capabilities with evolving operational requirements, including those of forward locations outside the capital.
In parallel, working closely with BINUH and OHCHR, we have strengthened implementation of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy through screening, risk assessments, mitigation measures, and monitoring. This includes working with the Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces of Haiti, and relevant ministries to advance mitigation measures and accountability, as well as engaging civil society and communities in the West and Artibonite Departments to strengthen dialogue and identify human rights risks early. These safeguards are integrated into the planning and delivery of support, ensuring that expanding operations are accompanied by equally robust human rights protections.
Madame la Présidente,
Notre troisième priorité demeure l’appui au BINUH.
Depuis mon dernier exposé au Conseil, nous avons franchi une étape importante avec la signature d’un accord entre l’UNSOH et le BINUH, conformément à la résolution 2793 (2025).
Cet accord définit les responsabilités respectives des deux entités, ainsi que des objectifs mesurables, des indicateurs de performance et des mécanismes de responsabilisation mutuelle, afin d’assurer une prestation efficace des services administratifs, logistiques, médicaux et techniques. Il renforce ainsi la cohérence de notre architecture d’appui, tout en préservant les mandats distincts de l’UNSOH et du BINUH.
Parallèlement, le Forum de coordination et les échanges réguliers entre le BINUH, la Force de répression des gangs et l’UNSOH favorisent une planification cohérente et complémentaire, dans le respect des mandats de chaque entité.
Madame la Présidente,
Notre quatrième priorité est de renforcer les capacités institutionnelles de l’UNSOH pour répondre à l’évolution des besoins opérationnels.
Depuis l’adoption de notre budget fin juin, nous avons poursuivi nos efforts de recrutement, en donnant la priorité aux fonctions opérationnelles et techniques essentielles, tout en mobilisant l’expertise d’autres missions des Nations Unies et de prestataires spécialisés. Dans les prochaines semaines, nous intensifierons le recrutement national, notamment en développant nos partenariats avec les universités, le secteur privé et les réseaux professionnels haïtiens, y compris au sein de la diaspora, afin de valoriser l’expertise locale et de favoriser la continuité institutionnelle.
Face à l’évolution rapide des besoins, nous continuons de gérer nos ressources avec rigueur, en privilégiant les capacités essentielles à l’exécution de notre mandat.
Enfin, nous faisons progressivement évoluer les dispositifs provisoires de démarrage vers un modèle plus durable, en développant les infrastructures nécessaires à notre siège et au soutien d’une présence opérationnelle croissante.
Madame la Présidente,
Depuis juillet, l’UNSOH a démontré sa capacité à accompagner l’expansion de la Force de répression des gangs, en facilitant les déploiements et en renforçant les dispositifs nécessaires au soutien de ses opérations. Nous sommes prêts à accueillir et à soutenir de nouveaux contingents dès qu’ils seront en mesure d’être déployés, tout en assurant au BINUH l’ensemble des services prévus par notre mandat.
La prochaine phase s’appuiera sur la coordination étroite déjà établie avec nos partenaires et sur une planification concertée. La visibilité sur les calendriers de déploiement, les capacités des contingents, et l’appui continu des États Membres aux moyens opérationnels essentiels permettront à l’UNSOH d’anticiper les besoins et d’accompagner durablement l’expansion de la Force.
En étroite collaboration avec les autorités haïtiennes, la FRG, le BINUH et les États contributeurs, l’UNSOH continuera de s’acquitter des responsabilités que lui a confiées ce Conseil. Notre action vise un objectif fondamental : permettre des opérations de sécurité efficaces et responsables, appuyer l’ensemble de la présence des Nations Unies, et contribuer au rétablissement de l’autorité de l’État et à l’amélioration de la sécurité de la population haïtienne.
Je vous remercie.