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Volker Türk, the UN’s top human rights official. (Photo via CMC)
UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The United Nations High Commissioner, Volker Türk, says the international community needs to make sure that individuals, who are behind the criminal gangs terrorising Haiti “are actually sanctioned”.
“So, we need a comprehensive approach and urgently. And human rights is part of it because we need to make sure that whatever the police force is doing, including the international forces, that there are compliance frameworks in place for human rights,” Turk said during an interview with the UN News.
Armed gangs control most of the capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said earlier this month that gang violence had forced more than 110,000 people to flee their homes in the last seven months, particularly in Gressier, which lies west of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The UN Security Council has re-authorized the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti for 12 months, noting that it had been authorized last October to assist Haiti’s beleaguered police force.
Led by Kenya, the MSS currently has around 410 police officers on the ground and is expected to grow to around 2,500, the UN said, adding that the renewal comes as “the mission tries to curb rampant gang violence, enable an environment conducive to aid delivery, and create conditions for free and fair elections.”
In a unanimous vote on resolution 2751, the UN said the 15-member Council urged the MSS mission to speed up its deployment, and called on all nations to provide additional voluntary contributions and support.
Turk, who has been advocating support for the international mission, was asked what actions should be taken by the mission so as not to contribute to the human rights violations, given that the MSS will be dealing with gangs, who use young people.
“The security situation is of the utmost concern. Over 3,900 people having been killed this year. Hundreds of people have been abducted.
“So, it’s clear that the multinational Security Support (MSS) mission that has currently been deployed is critical to support the Haitian police to do their work. At the same time, we have to stop the arms that flow into the country. They are all not produced in Haiti. They come from elsewhere.”
He said there is also need to make sure that those individuals who are behind the gangs are actually sanctioned.
“So, we need a comprehensive approach and urgently. And human rights is part of it because we need to make sure that whatever the police force is doing, including the international forces, that there are compliance frameworks in place for human rights,” Turk added.
Earlier this month, Turk told the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that he is “convinced that the security crisis, the rule of law crisis, and the governance crisis that Haitians are enduring can be resolved”.
