UNODC Security Council Quarterly Report (2024-07)
Summary — This letter from the UN Secretary-General to the Security Council transmits the fourth quarterly report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) pursuant to resolution 2692 (2023). The report includes updated information on arms trafficking, illicit financial flows, and relevant UN activities in Haiti.
Key Findings
- Haitian gangs are becoming increasingly autonomous from political and economic backers, empowered by transnational crime and political instability.
- Firearms are trafficked into Haiti via three major routes: the northern route from the United States, the southern route from the Caribbean and South America, and the eastern route from the Dominican Republic.
- There is growing awareness of firearms trafficking dynamics from the United States to Haiti, but limited oversight over shipping logistics remains a key obstacle.
- Haiti's political and economic instability are aggravated by systemic corruption and money laundering, with laws intended to deter these activities only partially implemented and poorly enforced.
- The intersection of domestic gangs with transnational organized criminal networks represents a threat to stability both in Haiti and the wider region.
Full Description
The report, submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2692 (2023), details the sources and routes of illicit arms and financial flows in Haiti, as well as relevant United Nations activities and recommendations. It covers the period from 19 April to 12 July 2024, a time of instability marked by gang consolidation and the formation of a transitional presidential council. The report builds on previous UNODC reports, providing further explanations of the regional, national, and subnational dimensions of trafficking in firearms, ammunition, and illicit financial flows. It also addresses the transnational implications of instability in Haiti, including regional trafficking in drugs, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling, as well as the evolution of Haiti’s criminal networks and their involvement in political developments and organized crime.