The international community has been involved in Haiti for almost thirty years, although the results have been far from satisfactory.
This began in October 1994, when a military intervention led by the United States and mandated by the UN Security Council brought President Jean-Bertrand Aristide back to power.
Aristide had been overthrown in a military coup on September 30, 1991, just seven months after taking office as the first democratically elected president in Haiti’s political history.
The coup in the Dominican Republic’s neighbor occurred just four months after the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted Resolution 1080, which provides the basis for the collective defense of democracy in the event of an abrupt interruption of the democratic process in any country in the region.
Against this backdrop, political life in Haiti experienced a precarious normalization with the election of René Préval the following year and the peaceful transfer of power on February 7, 1996.
At the end of Préval’s term, Aristide was re-elected and returned to power in February 2001, although opposition parties boycotted the election.
This time his presidency lasted only three years instead of four, as political and military forces again overthrew him on February 29, 2004.
On April 30, 2004, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1542 (2004), which established the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), replacing the Multinational Interim Force (MIF) that the Security Council had authorized immediately after Aristide’s overthrow. MINUSTAH, initially established for nine months, had a civilian and military component.
This reflected the United Nations’ intention to assist the Haitian government in normalizing state institutions and consolidating police forces to provide greater order and security.
The armed forces were disbanded after Aristide returned to power in 1994, leading to significant security problems that continue today. MINUSTAH’s mandate was extended several times, and the mission remained in Haiti until October 17, 2017.
It was then replaced by the United Nations Mission in Support of Justice in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), established by Security Council Resolution 2350 (2017) on April 13, 2017.
The overall mandate of this mission was to assist the Haitian government in developing the rule of law in the country by supporting the National Police, the judiciary, prisons, and human rights protection.
During this time, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake in January 2010 and other natural disasters that further worsened the precarious living conditions of the Haitian people.
These events led international aid to focus on humanitarian assistance rather than addressing the country’s long-standing structural problems.
MINUJUSTH ended its operations on October 15, 2019, and was replaced the following day by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), established by UN Security Council Resolution 2476 (2019) on June 25, 2019.
BINUH’s mandate focuses on promoting political stability, good governance, maintaining and promoting a peaceful and stable environment, promoting human rights, and supporting national dialogue among the different sectors of Haitian society.
Originally intended to last 12 months, this mission was extended to July 15, 2023, by Resolution 2645 (2022) on July 15, 2022.
Despite the repeated United Nations missions, the crisis in Haiti is worsening.
The country’s political system is disoriented and unstable, and the conflict has become virtually unmanageable.
On July 7, 2021, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, further exacerbating the country’s political and institutional crisis.
This also led to the proliferation of criminal gangs that are gaining more and more control over the country and further weakening the state.
It would be presumptuous to offer advice on what to do after so many failed attempts to manage a crisis of this magnitude.
However, it seems obvious that these UN missions and other initiatives to assist Haiti lacked a vision of state-building as a basic requirement for shaping society, the economic system, and the government structure.
In his report to French President Jacques Chirac in 2004, Regis Debray pointed out Haiti has the most NGOs per square kilometer globally.
This shows that an enormous amount of international aid money has gone to projects that do little or nothing to (re)build state institutions in key areas such as security, tax and customs administration, economic planning, environmental management, public works, education, public health, and justice.
In other words: What Haiti needs is more government, not less.
A renewed reflection on these issues could help support the Haitian people in their efforts to achieve order, stability, and governance.
This was the goal expressed in the resolution establishing BINUH.
Promoting dialogue among all social sectors can be very promising with a strategic, gradual, and sustainable vision over time, especially with the support of national or international actors who can convene.
This dialogue could be the starting point for the gradual restoration of the Haitian state and its system of governance.
Of course, the ultimate responsibility for the country’s fate rests with the Haitian people.
Without an active and conscious commitment by Haitian political, economic, ecclesiastical, and social leaders, there will be no way to lead Haiti to stability, governance, and development, regardless of international support.
News Haiti, English news Haiti, United Nations in Haiti