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Swedish statement at the UNSC Debate on MINUJUSTH

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National statement delivered by Ambassador Carl Skau at the United Nations Security Council Debate on the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti, MINUJUSTH, 3 April 2018, New York.

Mr President,

Let me join the others in congratulating Peru on the Presidency and thanking our Dutch colleagues for their impressive work during the month of March.

Let me begin by thanking Under-Secretary-General, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, for his report, and also say that I associate myself with the statement that will be made by the European Union later this morning.

Mr President,

Sweden commends Haiti for the achievements made in the consolidation of democracy, stability and peace. Progress is now needed on the priorities that President Moïse and his government have set out, including the Rule of Law and respect for human rights, improved socio-economic development, infrastructure, resilience and security. These are priorities with which the mandate of MINUJUSTH is also aligned. The government must now spare no effort in delivering on their commitments, but with the support of the international community.

The benchmarks presented in the Secretary-General's report will help support these efforts by linking progress in the core areas of the Mission's mandate with other key preconditions for stability in the country. As this Council has stated before, it is important to ensure a clear end state for the Mission to work towards.

Adequate planning is needed for future hand-over to the UN Country Team in the spirit of Sustaining Peace.

As more and more tasks are given to the UN Country Team, donors must step up to ensure that UN agencies have adequate resources and capacity to effectively support the peacebuilding process in Haiti.

Mr President,

It is important that MINUJUSTH continues to integrate gender throughout its work, including measures to increase women's security and participation as well as to ensure protection against sexual and gender based violence. Integrating gender is also key for gender-budgeting and to ensure adequate information gathering, monitoring and reporting.

MINUJUSTH was created as a Rule of Law mission, and, as in other UN missions, it is vital to have an integrated Rule of Law approach that encompasses the whole justice chain, from police and corrections to prosecution and courts. In this vein, Sweden continue to contribute both police and corrections personnel to MINUJUSTH.

The mission's police component's mentorship and advice to their counterparts in the Haitian National Police is an integral part of the transition strategy, and we are encouraged by the work being undertaken in this area. We know from experience that policing and other rule of law institutions play an important role in providing a bridge between security and development in these transition processes.

MINUJUSTH is the only current UN peacekeeping mission that consists solely of civilian and police components. We should draw on this experience when looking at the drawdown and transition of other UN peace operations. This is in line with this Council's ambition to have more phased and layered approaches to transitions and drawdowns in peacekeeping operations.

Mr President,

We welcome the efforts described in the report to strengthen protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. We need to continue to ensure that alleged cases of sexual exploitation and abuse are reported and investigated, and that all necessary steps are taken to apply disciplinary measures, and, or, undertake criminal prosecutions to hold perpetrators accountable.

We were happy to co-sponsor the General Assembly resolution in support of the Secretary-General's new approach to eradicate cholera and build resistance in Haiti last year. We have supported the UN Haiti Cholera Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund and we encourage others to contribute to this fund as well in order to collectively bring an end to cholera in Haiti.

Mr President,

In conclusion, much has been achieved by the Haitian people in recent years. The establishment of MINUJUSTH provides an opportunity for a reinvigorated partnership with Haiti towards longer-term stability and sustainable development. We will remain a committed partner for Haiti as the country continues its efforts in the consolidation of democracy, stability and peace.

Thank you.

Contact

Lisa Laskaridis
Head of Press and Communication, Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN
Phone +1 212 583 2543
Mobile +1 917 239 0941
email to Lisa Laskaridis
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