Statement at the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Interactive Dialogue on the interim report of the High Commissioner on Haiti
Delivered by Sigrid Lipott
Thank you, Mr President.
CIVICUS welcomes the interim report of the High Commissioner on Haiti. The human rights situation in Haiti, where armed gangs have also spread their control over most parts of the nation, remains very concerning, amid unprecedented armed violence, killing of civilians, abductions, torture, forced displacement, and systematic use of S/GBV. The few operations carried out by the security forces and agents of the Multinational Security Support Mission to restore security and protect the population are still far from being effective.
Against this backdrop of massive human rights violations and severe humanitarian crisis, challenges facing civil society are multifaceted with continued attacks against journalists and local CSOs, including grassroots CSOs working in rural areas and land defenders across Haiti’s North and South, including the Department of Nippes. Press workers continue be targeted not only by criminal gangs but also from Haitian security forces, face legal persecution, and are accused of affiliation with armed groups for covering their press conferences, without the right of reply.
While welcoming the establishment of a provisional electoral Council, we call on the Council to ask the Haitian authorities to step up efforts to support national human rights institutions and local CSOs, and to pursue an inclusive dialogue between all Haitian actors concerned to find a lasting solution to the multidimensional crisis. The establishment of a country office of the High Commissioner remains of paramount importance to ensure effective civic space monitoring.
We urge the Council to comprehensively address the link between the circulation of firearms and human rights violations on the ground and to identify concrete avenues for the protection of civilians and solidarity action. We also call on:
- Continued comprehensive monitoring and reporting on the situation in Haiti by the OHCHR, and
- The establishment of mechanisms to prevent grave human rights violations and abuses on the ground and ensure that the legal guarantees of victims are protected and respected.We thank you.
