ARTICLE - MINUSTAH - EXIT STRATEGY

TOWARDS A FINAL WITHDRAWAL OF MINUSTAH?
(Haiti Libre) -

In a note signed by Mariano Fernández Amunátegui, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Haiti, the latter wanted to provide some explanations about the presence and the withdrawal of the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (Minustah) to better inform the public.

In this note Mariano Fernández says, "We believe that at this time, the exit strategy goal of the Minustah is to never return, because Haiti deserves to live as a country responsible for its internal security" stating that "the greatest success of a peace operation is to leave the country in which it was deployed, because it means that its goal was accomplished. This is what we aspire to do in Haiti."

"[...] taking into account the progress made in the democratization process and the necessity to return to the number of military and police officers that there were before the earthquake, ... whose presence in Haiti is no longer justified, we initiated in the middle of July an internal evaluation, with the support of a mission from New York; which concluded that it was possible to envisage a process of gradual reduction of the Minustah.

These conclusions have been presented to the countries contributing the troops, and to the Security Council. No disagreements were encountered, both as regarding the extension of the mandate of the Minustah for another year, and to reduce the number of troops at the level where they were in 2009. People familiar with the situation in Haiti and the United Nations have noted that the previous missions have returned to Haiti because its inhabitants have failed to live in stability and tolerance.

We believe that this time, the exit strategy of the Minustah aims to never return, because Haiti deserves to live as a country responsible for its internal security, and thus be able to provide jobs, housing, education and health to its inhabitants. Therefore, we are attentive to the evolution of the entire political, economic, social and cultural life, so that our measures will be to accompany and support the consolidation of this progress that will enable us to work on a specific and realistic timetable for our withdrawal.

We can not ignore that we see with some concern the slow progress in the strengthening, and the creation or the consolidation of certain basic institutions for the Rule of Law in Haiti. In other words, for the departure of the Minsutah it is of paramount importance to ensure the proper functioning of these institutions that protect the rights of citizens, as well as those that require them to perform their duties. Thus, it is obvious that it is necessary to have a citizen sense and a sense of political responsibility to provide the country with a Court of Cassation and a Supreme Judicial Council, a Permanent Electoral Council, a register of civil status, a cadastre, etc... these are the many fundamental institutions for the functioning of a country; self-determined and without limitation to the exercise of its sovereignty, to the protection of its right and to the fulfillment of its obligations."