A roadmap for security and governance reform in Haiti: How to address multilateral breakdown and state collapse
Summary — This paper proposes a three-year roadmap to address Haiti's interlinked security and governance crises through reforms by the transitional administration and international partners. The urgent need stems from Haiti's lack of elected government since President Moïse's 2021 assassination and gang control over large areas of Port-au-Prince.
Key Findings
- Armed gangs control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince through the Viv Ansanm coalition formed in September 2023.
- Haiti has had no elected president or legislature since President Moïse's assassination on July 7, 2021.
- The Transitional Presidential Council's mandate expires February 7, 2026, creating potential for worsening political vacuum.
- The UN's Multinational Security Support mission failed to generate sufficient funding and troops.
- Security has become a monetized commodity rather than a public good, with gangs controlling key infrastructure.
Full Description
Haiti faces an unprecedented governance and security crisis following President Jovenel Moïse's assassination on July 7, 2021, which created a constitutional vacuum that persists today. The country has no elected president or legislature, with executive power exercised by unelected transitional figures, notably the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) since 2024, whose mandate expires February 7, 2026.
The absence of legitimate government has accelerated security collapse, with armed gangs and militias controlling large areas of Port-au-Prince and key transport corridors. The Viv Ansanm coalition, formed in September 2023, controls an estimated 80% of the capital and uses kidnappings, extortion, and targeted killings as tools of economic predation and political leverage. Security has become a commodity in a fragmented marketplace rather than a public good.
The multilateral response has struggled to match these challenges' pace and complexity. The UN Security Council initially relied on sanctions in 2022, then authorized the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in October 2023, which failed to generate sufficient resources. In September 2025, the UNSC approved the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to supersede the MSS, with UN-managed funding and logistics support.
This paper presents a three-year roadmap for transforming emergency responses into coherent security and governance reform strategy, emphasizing Haitian ownership and focusing on establishing strategic vision, reviewing security institutions, modernizing legal frameworks, rebuilding legitimacy, and reasserting control over key infrastructure.