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Mr. President,
Our delegation thanks SRSG Mariano Fernández, for his insightful briefing.
We also thank the Secretary General for his report contained in document S/2012/678.
Pakistan fully supports peace and progress in Haiti which is a collective objective for Haitian people, this Council and the international community.
The brave and resilient people of Haiti have made important strides towards stability and development. The devastating earthquake of 2010 reversed the gains achieved incrementally over many years. It is heartening that a new and promising Haiti is emerging from that tragedy. In this regard, the Secretary General has also noted important milestones reached in Haiti recently. These include: formation of new government, publication of constitutional amendments and establishment of Superior Council of judiciary. On road to political stability and economic prosperity, such measures have far-reaching significance.
Parallel to reaching political milestones, the Haitian government is also taking important steps to attract foreign investment, improve governance and promote industrial projects. We hope that the new aid-coordination mechanism will strengthen the capacity of Haitian government to manage external resources with the support of Haiti Reconstruction Fund. We share the optimism that Haitian leaders have an opportunity to make genuine progress in rebuilding the nation and strengthening institutions. The initiatives of Haitian government must be supplemented by greater economic and trade cooperation from the international community.
Besides commitment of the Haitian government, progress and developments in Haiti are also attributable to the work of MINUSTAH. The Mission is already implementing a challenging mandate in the areas of security, support to political process, protection of vulnerable groups, Justice & Correction and Human Rights monitoring. Reconfiguration or drawdown of MINUSTAH must, therefore be planned carefully, and based on the ground situation. It should not lead to reversal of gains painstakingly achieved in Haiti. We look forward to the transition compact that MINUSTAH will work out with the stakeholders with a view to setting out precise benchmarks in the areas of security, rule of law, accountability mechanism and legislation/regulatory frameworks.
Political developments in Haiti need to be consolidated by a strong security sector. Besides providing safety and security to Haitian people, a self-sustaining National Police Institution is also essential for eventual withdrawal of MINUSTAH. Objectives and benchmarks of Haitian National Police Development Plans, presented by MINUSTAH and Haitian National Police, must be met forthrightly. Recent steps taken by Haitian authorities to increase the number of police recruits, in particular females are encouraging. Capacity building and training of Haitian National Police together with budgetary support for its expenses should remain a matter of high priority.
Mr. President,
Today’s debate should also underscore the challenge of addressing the humanitarian situation in Hiati. The ongoing cholera epidemic, food insecurity and extreme vulnerability to natural disasters augment the humanitarian challenge. We will urge greater coordination and cohesion among different actors engaged in humanitarian work. We will also caution against donor fatigue, which can result from protracted crises, like the one faced by Haiti.
Pakistan has been a participant in UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti since 1993. As part of MINUSTAH, two formed Police Units from Pakistan have been deployed since the 2010 earthquake.
In 2005, the people of Pakistan suffered the worst earthquake of their history. Five years later, when a similar tragedy befell our brothers and sisters of Haiti, the people of Pakistan felt their pain as their own. Our solidarity with the Haitian people has not waned since then. It is with this spirit that we will continue to support the people of Hiati in the quest for stability and progress as well as to uphold the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of their country.
Thank you