(2020-09) BINUH - Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti

S United Nations /2020/944 Security Council Distr.: General 25 September 2020 Original: English United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti Report of the Secretary-General I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2476 (2019), by which the Council established the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and requested me to report on the implementation of the resolution every 120 days. The document covers significant developments that have occurred since the issuance of my previous report (S/2020/537) and provides an update on the implementation of the BINUH mandate as the mission completes its first year of existence. 2. The direct health impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Haiti has, so far, been moderate, with 8,600 confirmed cases and 221 deaths reported as at 22 September 2020. While official statistics are likely to be underreported, the Government’s response to the crisis, under the leadership of its COVID-19 multisectoral commission, has contributed to containing the transmission rate. The pandemic has nonetheless compounded the dire socioeconomic and humanitarian situation resulting from years of crisis and illustrated the need for continued stability and an ambitious development and reform agenda. 3. BINUH and the United Nations country team have further built on the complementary nature of the mission’s political and advisory mandate and the programmatic as well as technical support capacities of the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes present in the country. The United Nations system has provided advocacy and programmatic support to the Government response to COVID-19. In parallel, it has advanced implementation of its “One United Nations” plan through a joint integrated strategic framework and developed programmes with a view to preparing for an eventual transition of mission responsibilities to national authorities supported by the United Nations country team. II. Political and good governance (benchmark 1) 4. The United Nations system continued to strengthen its partnership with national authorities to implement a reform agenda aimed at addressing institutional weaknesses and the root causes of instability. Progress, however, was constrained by the institutional vacuum resulting from the non-holding of elections to replace the fiftieth legislature, which ended its term on 13 January 2020, and the persistent lack of consensus on a 20-12135 (E) 011020 *2012135* S/2020/944 common political agenda. Polarization remains acute, as formal talks to overcome the political impasse have not resumed since the last round of dialogue facilitated by the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the representation of the Holy See, on 24 February 2020. The spirit of national cohesion briefly displayed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly dissolved, while increased levels of gang- related insecurity and several high-profile murders in late August portend of inauspicious dynamics as Haiti prepares to enter a new electoral cycle. 5. Political tensions were further aggravated in late June as the opposition renewed calls for President Jovenel Moïse to leave office in February 2021 and for the installation of a transitional government. On 21 August, 228 members of opposition parties and grass-roots civil society movements issued a statement objecting to the holding of elections under the current administration and committing to reach agreement on the modalities for a transitional government. Amid that tense climate, the Executive sought to pursue parts of its governance agenda. On 5 June, the Council of Ministers adopted an overdue $1.8 billion national budget (approximately 198.7 billion Haitian gourdes) for the 2019/20 fiscal year, which ends on 30 September. The President also promulgated several pieces of legislation by decree, including one pertaining to the new biometric national identity card – which also serves as a voter identification card – on 16 June, and a new Penal Code on 24 June. The latter was the result of a decade-long national effort to update the country’s obsolete 1835 legal framework and better align it with international legal and human rights norms. 6. The use of presidential decrees to enact reform, in the absence of a functioning legislative branch, elicited strong criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups over the lack of checks and balances in the process. Those concerns were further heightened by the Executive’s appointment, through a decree published on 9 July, of municipal commissions for the 140 municipalities where the term of office of elected municipal councils ended between 23 May and 30 July without the holding of elections. Following two extraordinary meetings, on 17 and 24 July, the Haitian National Bar Association published an opinion arguing that the Haitian Constitution does not grant the President the right to issue such decrees and called for the withdrawal of those issued since 13 January. 7. Despite those dynamics, some progress was made in the preparations for the launch of a new electoral cycle in 2021. The Provisional Electoral Council submitted a draft electoral decree, dated 23 July, to President Moïse. The text strengthens electoral dispute resolution mechanisms and mandates that, in all electoral races, except for the presidential one, one-third of political party candidates must be women. The drafters of the document, however, eschewed other stronger measures advocated by the President and women’s rights activists to increase elected representation of women. Progress also continued towards the completion of an updated voter registry. As of 26 August, the National Identification Office, which was recently allocated $4.3 million to increase its delivery capacity, had registered some 2.7 million citizens out of an estimated 6.8 million Haitians of voting age, and distributed 1.6 million biometric identity cards. 8. Notwithstanding, electoral uncertainty remains high in the absence of consensus on key aspects of election preparations, including an electoral calendar and the composition of a new Provisional Electoral Council, after the collective resignation of the previous Council on 24 July, an act that followed a request from the presidency on 23 July for the sectors represented in the Council to either confirm their existing representative or appoint a new one within 48 hours. In the light of the prevailing political dynamics, negotiations that led to the 18 September designation by President Moïse of nine new counsellors were convoluted. 9. Amid increased electrical power outages, allegedly caused by poor quality fuel supplied by a contractor new to the country’s oil market and widely viewed as 2/29 20-12135 S/2020/944 affiliated with influential individuals, the Government’s pursuit of its anti-corruption agenda in the energy sector was contested by the opposition for being politically motivated and partisan. Critics pointed in particular to the proceedings initiated against the private electricity provider SOGENER, which had its premises sealed and saw arrest warrants issued against several of its board members in the last week of July. Critics were also incensed by President Moïse’s 22 June request to three government anti-corruption bodies to open an inquiry into State oil contracts from 2010 onwards, and again by the 14 August release of the findings of those inquiries, which concluded that the Haitian State had lost $1.7 billion over 10 years and that oil companies had accrued $94 million in profit at the expense of the State following the liberalization of the oil sector in March 2019. The Haitian Association of Petrol Professionals rejected those findings in a 20 August statement, noting that prices had been fixed by the Haitian State. 10. Moreover, following the 13 August hearing of a former Senate President and leading opposition figure by the Anti-Corruption Unit for a loan extended to his family by the State Pension Fund, the opposition announced that it would submit three complaints for corruption against perceived allies of the ruling coalition, including the firm currently contracted by the State to import petroleum products. Against that backdrop, calls for accountability on the use of the PetroCaribe funds regained momentum with the 17 August submission of a third PetroCaribe audit report by the High Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes to the 10 remaining members of the Senate. On 19 August, the Court was also requested by a human rights non-governmental organization to audit 30 contracts signed by the Government during the COVID-19 public health emergency. 11. Discontent with the Government’s policies and initiatives spilled over beyond parts of the political and business elite and resulted in an increase in civil unrest episodes, from a total of 55 in May and June to 174 for the months of July and August. Notably, a countrywide protest organized by religious actors opposing provisions in the new Penal Code advancing sexual, reproductive and women’s rights mobilized over 6,000 people. In addition, several local demonstrations against electricity blackouts, insecurity and recent changes in municipal administrations also took place. Those episodes attest to worrisome levels of popular frustration. 12. In that fraught context, the mission continues to extend its good offices to address the trust deficit that permeates the Haitian political landscape and promote a more conducive political environment. Outreach to political actors, academics, the private sector, civil society, women leaders and other stakeholders is ongoing to identify points of convergence and potential confidence-building measures, and to maintain momentum on debates over key reforms. Moving forward, that engagement will continue to seek to spark action on concrete, legitimate Haitian-led initiatives that will place the country on a path to greater political stability. 13. The mission and OAS also reached out to a wide range of national stakeholders and contributed to the growing public debate on constitutional reform, an issue that received broad support during the dialogue hosted at the nunciature last year. A BINUH editorial published on 15 June advocating for a Haitian-owned constitutional reform process initially sparked mixed reactions but nonetheless paved the way for a number of Haitian-led public initiatives on the issue, including a two-day workshop organized on 12 and 13 August by the Office of the Ombudsperson (Office de la Protection du Citoyen), the national human rights institution of Haiti. Prime Minister Jouthe, in a statement on 17 August, expressed support for such civil society efforts, which continue to gain traction. However, this much-needed public debate has yet to lead to a formal constitutional revision process, and the window of opportunity to address the shortcomings of the 1987 Constitution prior to future elections is fast closing. 20-12135 3/29 S/2020/944 14. The shocking assassination, on 28 August, of the president of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association and lead SOGENER counsel, Montferrier Dorval, a respected scholar and vocal advocate for constitutional reform, could have a chilling effect on the active participation of civil society organizations in the shaping and implementation of the reform agenda the country needs. Many political and social actors, including the Office of the Ombudsperson, magistrates’ associations, the Haitian and International Federations of Bar Associations, private sector, human rights and faith-based associations publicly expressed their dismay at such an act and have demanded concrete improvement of the security situation as well as an end to impunity. Addressing the nation on 29 August, the President expressed his commitment to taking strong measures against insecurity and to hold perpetrators accountable. III. Community violence reduction (benchmark 2) 15. Linkages between gang violence and political developments continued to influence the levels of insecurity observed in Haiti. This was evident in recent months in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area (West Department), where deadly inter-gang clashes in Cité Soleil and Bel Air over control of populous areas that house major public markets and large polling stations displaced at least 298 households and fuelled a widespread sentiment of insecurity. These dynamics, which suggest that competition among gangs is growing in anticipation of elections, led to changes in the constellation of gangs in the metropolitan area, with the formation on 10 June of a new alliance, the G9 an fanmi (G9), initially comprising nine gangs from Cité Soleil, La Saline and lower Delmas, but which has since expanded to 15 gangs spanning several neighbourhoods. 16. The G9, which was reportedly formed at the instigation of former police officer Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier – who is suspected of being implicated in the emblematic cases of Grand Ravine (2017), La Saline (2018) and Bel-Air (2019) – is notorious because of the diversity of its membership, its influence over vast swaths of territory in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and its narrative as a social movement fighting for better services and opportunities in poor neighbourhoods. Its creation raised concerns among political and civil society actors about the detrimental impact partisan gangs can have on State institutions. 17. The signing on 22 August by several gang leaders within G9 of a truce with rivals in Cité Soleil and reports in late August of tensions within the alliance gave rise to questions about its ability to maintain cohesion. Nonetheless, the consolidation of the G9 control of parts of the metropolitan zone appears to have affected major crime trends during the reporting period. Intentional homicides reported to the police decreased by 12 per cent between 1 June and 31 August, with 328 victims (including 24 women and 9 children) compared with 373 (including 9 women and 12 children) in the preceding three months. Just as in previous periods, 74 per cent of those cases were recorded in the West Department, where some 35 per cent of the population lives and gang violence is more prevalent. A closer look at statistics, however, reveals a sudden spike in June (171 reported intentional homicides, compared with 132 in May) that coincided with the formation of the G9 alliance and corresponds with the deadliest raids on the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of Pont-Rouge and the commune of Cité Soleil. This was followed by a steep decline after July (with 77 homicides reported), once alliances were reconfigured. Conversely, abductions followed the opposite trend. After steadily declining since March to a monthly average of 3.5, abduction cases increased to 19 in July, as gangs reverted to lucrative activities following weeks of intense negotiations and clashes. In total, 32 individuals (including 9 women and 3 children) were abducted, compared with 25 victims (including 7 women and 7 children) in the three preceding months, a 28 per cent 4/29 20-12135 S/2020/944 increase. This uptick in kidnappings appears, however, to have been contained by police operations conducted in the latter part of the reporting period, which led to the arrest of 53 abduction suspects and 51 additional gang members. 18. A noticeable increase in gang-related incidents was also observed in other parts of the country, particularly in Cap-Haïtien (North Department) and Petite-Rivière-de- l’Artibonite (Artibonite Department), where insecurity limits movement on several important thoroughfares. Just as in the capital, gang violence might increase once an electoral calendar is announced. Curbing the expansion of gangs thus remains a priority for the Haitian National Police, which launched another nationwide police operation on 7 August, and increased its presence in sensitive areas with the construction of new police stations in Anse-à-Veau (Nippes Department), Ganthier and Malpasse (West Department). 19. The National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration continued to consolidate its position as the leading national institution on community violence reduction, despite persistent operational constraints. It gained visibility through involvement in the Government’s response to the COVID-19 epidemic, supporting the preparation of key messages for the Government’s nationwide sensitization campaign as well as mediating tensions over the distribution of food and health items and the installation of sanitary equipment in areas controlled by gangs. However, its draft national strategy on community violence reduction is yet to be formally adopted by the Government. In addition, despite having received in late August a partial budget covering expenses incurred in the previous nine months, including the remunerations of commissioners, the Commission continues to lack a budget. 20. The United Nations contributed to the community violence reduction agenda through programmatic activities. A three-year inter-agency Peacebuilding Fund project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), to strengthen social cohesion in Jérémie (Grand’Anse Department) concluded on 31 July. A total of 4,880 beneficiaries, 55 per cent of whom were women, took part in project activities on community leadership, citizen decision-making, gender equality, women’s empowerment, conflict resolution and social cohesion. In addition, 10 youth organizations received financial assistance, enabling microcredit to young people at risk. A new project focused on the Martissant and La Saline areas of Port-au-Prince was approved by the Peacebuilding Fund on 6 July. Its implementation, led by UNDP, IOM and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is currently being fine-tuned with BINUH and the Commission. 21. BINUH also continued to support national authorities in addressing the proliferation of illicit weapons and ammunition in Haiti within the framework of a dedicated Peacebuilding Fund project implemented by UNDP and IOM, with support from the Department of Peace Operations and the Office of Disarmament Affairs. The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean is assisting in the review and development of arms control legislation. The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is preparing an assessment on weapons and ammunition management in Haiti. Through the Peacebuilding Fund project, support is also being provided to the Haitian National Police to improve control over its weapons and ammunition arsenal as well as that of the Firearms Permit Service (Service de Permis d’Armes à Feu) regarding the management of civilian permits to possess or carry weapons. Under that project, IOM also provided training to law enforcement and customs officers at the border to improve border management. 22. Sexual and gender-based violence remained prevalent and continued to be underreported. The national health system reported 457 cases of rape (including that 20-12135 5/29 S/2020/944 of 164 women, 235 children and 58 men) between 1 June and 31 August, compared with 541 between 1 March and 31 May. By comparison, 43 rapes were reported to the Haitian National Police between 1 June and 31 August, compared with 35 during the earlier period. While legal protections for women have improved in the updated Penal Code, with anti-discrimination provisions and the decriminalization of abortion, a comprehensive law on violence against women has yet to be adopted, and redress for victims remains inadequate. The United Nations also continues to assist the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with the implementation of the national plan to counter violence against women, despite no provisions for the plan in the national budget, and is reviewing a list of service providers for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Support was also provided to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with the implementation of its national COVID-19 emergency strategy and communications campaign, with a focus on gender-based violence and continuity of access to basic health services, especially for maternal health. IV. Justice and the rule of law (benchmark 3) 23. Despite several important developments, including the appointment of a new Minister of Justice and Public Security, the adoption of a new Penal Code and the effective management of the COVID-19 response in prisons, major challenges persisted in the police, justice and corrections sectors. 24. On 9 July, Rockefeller Vincent, until then the Director of the Anti-Corruption Unit, replaced Lucmanne Délille as Minister of Justice and Public Security. During his short tenure, Délille had faced controversy over his management of prisoner releases ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic and several inflammatory declarations related to gangs. Among the new Minister’s foremost priorities will be to assuage judicial actors striking to publicize grievances over better work conditions, the payment of salary arrears and the resumption of the currently stalled process to renew judges’ mandates. The strikes have had an impact on the conduct of regular judicial activities since my previous report. While commitments made by the Government in early July halted the national movement, several magistrates’ associations pledged to resume work stoppages should the executive branch fail to act on its promises. In addition, slow progress in the establishment of the board of the National Council on Legal Aid delayed the opening of 11 decentralized legal aid offices, despite continuous engagement by BINUH, the United Nations country team and other technical and financial partners active in the sector. 25. The promulgation, to mixed reactions, of a new Penal Code by presidential decree on 24 July, represents a landmark achievement for Haiti, as it articulates a more progressive and humane approach to enforcing the law and provides an opportunity to advance justice sector reform. Imprisonment, currently the default option even for minor crimes, will become an exception, and the use of alternatives to incarceration may potentially help reduce prison overcrowding. Moreover, the recognition of new forms of criminal offenses, such as electronic and transnational crimes and grave human rights violations, including torture, crimes against humanity and war crimes, will harmonize Haitian domestic legislation with international criminal justice and human rights norms and standards, including the country’s international treaty obligations. Some religious leaders expressed concern over a number of provisions, notably the lowering of the age of sexual consent to 15 and the criminalization of acts of discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community, which they perceive as contrary to Haitian cultural and religious values. The current two-year transition period before the Code enters into force could, with the continued engagement of the expert panel that drafted its content under the leadership of former Minister of Justice and Public Security Jean Joseph Exumé, pave 6/29 20-12135 S/2020/944 the way for strengthened buy-in among national stakeholders and afford judiciary as well as other penal chain actors time to familiarize themselves with its contents in order to gradually prepare for its application. 26. The limited amount of resources provided to the Haitian National Police over the past several years is beginning to erode not only the organization’s operational capacity, but more importantly public confidence in the country’s sole functioning nationwide public safety institution. The share of the national budget allocated to the police decreased from 6.60 to 5.53 per cent and remains below the target of 7 per cent set for the third benchmark (see annex). The impact of the depreciation of the Haitian gourde on purchasing power, in tandem with increases in episodes of civil unrest and gang violence, has led the national police operating budget to be increasingly stretched. While Haitian authorities should be striving to build a force of 25,000 police officers to meet the internationally accepted ratio of 2.2 police officers for every 1,000 inhabitants, the national police workforce was reduced by 150 officers since my previous report. The police now count 15,022 officers within its ranks, which corresponds to a ratio of 1.28 police officers per 1,000 inhabitants. 27. Nevertheless, the Haitian National Police continued efforts to strengthen its performance. While female representation within its ranks currently stands at just over 10.5 per cent, women made up 21.3 per cent of the most recent class of recruits. Supported by BINUH and international partners, the national police stepped up efforts to boost women’s participation in future recruitment processes. However, the Government needs to redouble its efforts to support the effective implementation of the strategic development plan for the national police, 2017–2021, and notably focus on better training and equipping police officers to ensure compliance with human rights standards and improve police response to public complaints. 28. In collaboration with international partners, the Haiti prison administration managed to mitigate the potentially dramatic effects of the pandemic in prisons and allay fears of high death tolls and insecurity in the country’s penitentiary system. Between March and July, 234 individuals out of a total inmate population of 10,908 were tested for COVID-19, with 140 positive cases. Moreover, no significant increase in the carceral mortality rate has been observed compared with the same period last year. Finally, in July, BINUH advocacy for, and advice on, improving the management of Haitian National Police financial resources resulted in the provision of two meals per day to detainees. However, the countrywide recurrent fuel and electricity shortages continued to worsen the already poor detention conditions. In addition, efforts to reduce the inmate population as part of the exceptional judicial measures taken in the COVID-19 context had limited success. Despite the release of 1,042 detainees since 25 March (including 80 women and 25 children), the prison occupancy rate was at 338 per cent, a 1.8 per cent increase compared with the rate cited in my previous report. This increase was mainly due to rising numbers of pretrial detainees stemming from bottlenecks in the judicial sector. The United Nations Peacebuilding Fund allocated $2 million to support a reduction in prison and detention centre inmates in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the penitentiary administration contingency plan. The Peacebuilding Fund support would help carry out virtual hearings to facilitate legal arbitration to release detainees. 29. On a positive note, in the fight against impunity, the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police expanded its operational capacity to fight misconduct and human rights violations, reaching a key milestone with the construction of a fully equipped and staffed office in Cap-Haïtien (North Department). The office is the Inspectorate’s first regional presence and will help to address more proactively citizens’ concerns over police wrongdoing. 20-12135 7/29 S/2020/944 V. Human rights (benchmark 4) 30. Gang-related violence and the difficulties encountered by State authorities to protect citizens’ rights to life, security and physical integrity, in addition to the lack of accountability of alleged perpetrators for past human rights abuses, continued to have a negative effect on the human rights situation in the country. At the same time, the Government bolstered its ownership of human rights issues by appointing Jessy Ménos as Minister-delegate for Human Rights and the Fight against Extreme Poverty on 8 July. That position had been vacant since the appointment of Joseph Jouthe as Prime Minister on 4 March. As part of her duties, the Minister-delegate assumed leadership of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights, which is tasked with the coordination of human rights-related policies. 31. The mission documented the continuing occurrence of human rights violations and abuses in Haiti, primarily in the context of inter-gang clashes, the majority of which were recorded in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince (West Department). Since my previous report, BINUH observed an increase in attacks by gangs targeting the population, a development that can be explained by the establishment of the G9 an fanmi alliance and a lack of accountability for past abuses, including in emblematic cases like Grand Ravine (2017), La Saline (2018) and Bel Air (2019). Between 1 June and 31 August, BINUH attributed 172 alleged human rights abuses to gang members and unidentified armed men, including 27 killings, 28 injuries and 8 rapes. 32. Moreover, the seeming involvement in recent gang attacks in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods of Pont-Rouge and Bel Air, as well as in the commune of Cité Soleil, by known individuals, such as Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, who are the subjects of national police arrest warrants for their alleged implication in emblematic armed attacks, including in Grand Ravine, La Saline and Bel Air, further underscores how impunity and a manifest lack of accountability fuel recurrent cycles of violence. In the face of such violence, the Office of the Ombudsperson, the national human rights institution, emphasized the State’s obligation to protect the right to life, while civil society organizations published multiple reports documenting gang violence, questioning the effectiveness of the Government’s response and reiterating allegations of collusion between gangs and State agents. BINUH also reiterated its serious concerns in a 12 August statement, in which it strongly condemned gang violence and reiterated its call for accountability of perpetrators. 33. The situation surrounding Emmanuel “Toto” Constant, a former paramilitary leader sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment on 16 November 2000 for his involvement in the 1994 Raboteau massacre, who was deported from the United States of America on 26 June, also raises concerns. While Constant was arrested upon his arrival in Port-au-Prince, the Prosecutor’s office has not been able to locate his judicial file to confirm that his detention is in compliance with his prior conviction. Concerns that Constant could escape justice remain despite the rejection by the Gonaïves Court of First Instance, at the end of July, of an application for habeas corpus filed by Constant’s attorneys. BINUH and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are advocating for the regularization of Constant’s legal situation and are providing support to human rights organizations to strengthen awareness, access to justice and protection, including for the families of the Raboteau victims. 34. The lack of accountability for human rights violations committed by State agents (91 violations during the period under review, resulting in 29 people killed and 35 injured) remains concerning, because of the chronic absence of progress on judicial proceedings against alleged perpetrators, including those within the national police. Between October 2019 and August 2020, the General Inspectorate of the National Police opened investigations into 172 allegations of human rights violations. 8/29 20-12135 S/2020/944 Among the 13 investigations concluded to date, recommendations have been endorsed in seven cases while the others are pending final review by the Director-General ad interim of the Haitian National Police or the Minister of Justice and Public Security. In addition, 14 cases were transferred to the judiciary for prosecution during the same period. The General Inspectorate also investigated an additional 134 possible violations related to cases pertaining to incidents that occurred between 2005 and 2019. It recommended sanctions in 45 cases, out of which only 8 were implemented and 7 transferred for judicial proceedings. 35. In addition to the appointment of a new Minister-delegate for Human Rights and the Fight against Extreme Poverty, the Government submitted its additive report to the Human Rights Committee, ahead of a review of its implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, planned for October. Notwithstanding those developments, the national action plan on human rights, validated in December 2019 by the Inter-Ministerial Committee, is still pending endorsement by the Council of Ministers. The plan seeks to address lasting human rights problems by implementing recommendations formulated in the context of the Human Rights Council universal periodic review of Haiti in 2016. 36. Advocacy efforts are still ongoing to ensure the draft national human rights action plan is adopted by the Council of Ministers. The ratification by Haiti of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance is included in that draft. 37. The Office of the Ombudsperson also continued advocacy on key human rights issues. It coordinated the implementation of the national human rights protection framework and issued recommendations on various human rights concerns, including prolonged pretrial detention, the right to health, the impact of the magistrates’ strike on access to justice and insecurity and gang violence. BINUH supported the Office in the elaboration of an operational plan for the implementation of its new protection strategy, which seeks to effectively manage human rights complaints countrywide, as well as develop and carry out key advocacy initiatives, in particular on economic and social rights. 38. Furthermore, efforts to strengthen the ability of national human rights organizations to undertake their critical role advocating for citizen’s fundamental rights continued. With support from BINUH and OHCHR, national organizations and the Office of the Ombudsperson advocated for preventive COVID-19 measures and anti-stigmatization practices in prisons, based on visits to several detention centres and police stations, including the women’s prison in Cabaret and the juvenile detention facility in Port-au-Prince. In addition, BINUH supported several national human rights organizations in submitting alternative reports to the Human Rights Committee ahead of its meeting on the implementation by Haiti of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, planned for October. 39. Finally, BINUH continued discussions with the Haitian authorities about opening a standalone OHCHR office in Haiti. If approved, the office would continue to work with the Haitian authorities following the eventual departure of the mission to ensure the sustainability of progress made in recent years in the field of human rights. VI. Unemployment, youth and other vulnerable groups (benchmark 5) 40. The economic forecast for Haiti for 2020 remains gloomy. Recently revised projections from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean 20-12135 9/29 S/2020/944 (ECLAC) suggest a contraction in gross domestic product by 5 per cent for the year, due largely to the fallout of the COVID-19 health crisis compounding the economic impact of sociopolitical unrest in 2019. In recent months, it has become harder for the poorest households to gain access to food, owing to the continuing increases in the price of staple foods and other goods. At the same time, household incomes and purchasing power dropped as a result of, among other factors, reduced economic activity due to disinvestment in the textile and agricultural sectors linked to the pandemic. On a macroeconomic level, the weakened economic activity led to an estimated 16 per cent decline in fiscal revenues by the end of July, while expenditures rose by 25 per cent in real terms. The resulting large government deficit prompted a central bank intervention equivalent to about 6 per cent of gross domestic product at the end of July. Meanwhile, the value of the gourde against the United States dollar has exhibited increased volatility, and inflation is projected to remain above 20 per cent in 2020. In addition, efforts to address the country’s fundamental economic challenges still languish, as discussions between the Government and the International Monetary Fund on a staff- monitored programme recently stalled over the Fund’s request for greater transparency regarding a public procurement contract in the oil sector. 41. To better understand the exact toll of the pandemic on the Haitian economy and households, the resident coordinator has been leading the efforts of the country team to assess and identify solutions to overcome the effects of the pandemic. Working under the overall coordination of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and with UNDP providing technical leadership, the country team has engaged, through a global tripartite agreement for post-crisis assessments with the World Bank and the European Union, on the conduct of a joint, comprehensive COVID-19 socioeconomic impact assessment. That process draws on the expertise of various members of the country team, including non-residents such as ECLAC, and the ongoing analysis by UN-Women of the gender-differentiated impacts of the pandemic in Haiti. It will include recommendations for public policy reform and guide the Government’s formulation of a cogent and comprehensive recovery plan. In addition, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are delivering assistance through cash transfers in order to empower beneficiaries to meet their essential needs through local markets. 42. Over the past several months, the United Nations country team has adapted its implementation of short-term stabilization interventions to help achieve a long-term impact despite the challenging context. To help support vulnerable rural household incomes and to prevent further deterioration of food security, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is assisting with agricultural inputs, animal health and diversification of food and income sources, among other actions. To help preserve employment and improve livelihoods, UNDP, in collaboration with the Government, provided training in financial management, marketing and customer service skills, as well as a one-time cash subsidy of $153 to 458 microenterprises. In addition, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) restarted its labour-intensive roadwork projects in the Artibonite and Centre departments, while UN-Women trained low-income women in the production of masks and soap, providing them with income opportunities during the pandemic. VII. Basic social service delivery and resilience (benchmark 6) 43. While the impact of the pandemic in Haiti has not been as severe as initially projected, the COVID-19 virus nevertheless continues to spread throughout the country at a steady albeit low level, mandating continued caution. A small uptick in cases was registered following the President’s suspension of the state of health emergency on 28 July, which permitted the reopening of schools and places of worship, but a larger 10/29 20-12135 S/2020/944 surge has not been observed to date. The Government continues to implement the national COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, in which the United Nations system – under the leadership of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and through the work of IOM, UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, WFP and the United Nations Children’s Fund – played an important supporting role. As part of the plan, the Government established call centres and data analysis teams in all 10 of the country’s departments and activated contact tracing and investigation teams across the country to enhance surveillance. The Ministry of Public Health and Population set up triage spaces for suspected cases in 147 non-COVID-19 health centres to ensure safe treatment of patients. Moreover, in collaboration with partners, the United Nations distributed masks and other material to vulnerable groups, including people living with HIV. Measures to detect and follow-up on potential migrants with COVID-19 were put in place at several border crossing points. Finally, awareness-raising efforts, a crucial element of the COVID-19 response, helped reduce the spread of the virus by sensitizing communities to effective prevention measures, including through the activities of thousands of community health workers trained by PAHO/WHO with the Ministry of Public Health and Population. 44. Development and humanitarian indicators in Haiti took a downward turn in recent months. The pandemic heightened protection issues, including for women and girls who face increased risks of sexual and gender-based violence. The United Nations-European Union Spotlight Initiative on gender, working with 22 partners, has sensitized more than 2,500 young people on the availability of the green line/hotline of the Children’s Protection Brigade of the Haitian National Police and to provide psychological assistance and group support to about 500 adolescents and girls. In addition, the reallocation of health workers and resources to the COVID-19 response and fear of contagion has interrupted the continuity of health services, including routine immunization and life-saving maternal and neonatal health interventions. 45. After being closed for months, schools reopened on 10 August for more than 4 million children, but the lack of access to or limitations of distance learning exacerbated existing educational inequalities for the poorest and most vulnerable households. An ongoing drought, border closures and other COVID-19-related factors also resulted in a deterioration of food security and nutrition, to the extent that 53 per cent of households experienced hunger between May and June, according to a United Nations-supported study by the National Coordination for Food Security. Without access to sufficiently nutritious food, the number of children suffering from malnutrition is expected to increase by 25 per cent by the end of the year. In that context of growing vulnerabilities, the National Social Protection and Promotion Policy – adopted in June – and the decree governing its implementation represent positive developments. The United Nations stands ready to support the drafting of the national action plan for the policy as a next step. It is also, in partnership with the World Bank, contributing to the development of a knowledge base for policymaking through the implementation of several studies on the impact of COVID-19 on households, food security, the environment and gender, among others. Moreover, to help respond to the worsening humanitarian situation, a revised 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan was launched in June. It aims to reach 2.3 million (as part of the non-COVID-19 response) of the 5.1 million Haitians deemed the most vulnerable. Including the COVID-19 response, the revised plan requests $472 million. As of 10 September, it was 16 per cent funded. 46. One bright spot in the health sector, despite interruptions to services over the past several months, remains the fight against cholera, which the United Nations continues to prioritize, while supporting the Government in capitalizing on cholera surveillance and alert-response systems to advance efforts against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. In 2020, only 79 suspected cases of cholera have been 20-12135 11/29 S/2020/944 identified, all of which have tested negative. Because so few cases of suspected cholera have been found, testing has been expanded to include additional forms of acute watery diarrhoea to increase confidence in results. Nineteen consecutive months have passed since the most recent confirmed case of cholera was recorded in Haiti. 47. The current hurricane season, which has been more active than normal for Haiti and the Caribbean region, could further exacerbate humanitarian needs. Already, the country has seen 31 people killed, 2,320 houses damaged and 243 destroyed by tropical storms. The United Nations is engaged with the General Directorate of Civil Protection to support preparedness, including the prepositioning of food and non-food items, the enhancement of rapid assessment and information management capacities, the review of contingency plans in the light of the pandemic and the construction as well as renovation of emergency shelters. To reinforce COVID-19 prevention efforts, masks have been given to the General Directorate of Civil Protection for distribution, and prevention measures are employed at food and cash distribution sites, as well as in emergency shelters. VIII. Operational posture and integration 48. Efforts continued aimed at implementing the integrated strategic framework, which is intended to guide the collective efforts of the Organization in 2020 and 2021, following the projected renewal of the BINUH mandate. In particular, the United Nations system in Haiti is currently devising integrated solutions to address the structural blockages preventing progress on the country’s many challenges. In addition, a number of entities have realigned or reprioritized some funding, while some have brought on board additional human resources focused on objectives of the integrated strategic framework. 49. BINUH successfully relocated its headquarters on 1 September to the Pétionville commune of Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, in closer proximity to United Nations agencies, partners and counterparts. The move enabled the mission to close the logistics base inherited from previous peacekeeping missions, a site that had become too costly to maintain and did not meet BINUH operational requirements. The logistics base facilities are scheduled to be rehabilitated and returned to the Government of Haiti on 30 September 2020, in full compliance with United Nations policy and established environmental standards. They are set to house the National Emergency Operations Centre of the General Directorate of Civil Protection. As part of the move, surplus equipment and inventory was disposed of through sales and, in some cases, gifting to governmental partners to strengthen institutional capacities and help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. BINUH police and corrections co-location sites also finished rehabilitation and became fully operational. IX. Sexual exploitation and abuse 50. Since my previous report, BINUH has received one new allegation of sexual exploitation and abuse relating to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti period. The Mission also received allegations against a new perpetrator in a case reported in 2009. Efforts continued to support those and other victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as any children born as a result of such misconduct. The Office of the Ombudsperson stands ready to play a role in reporting cases, including by contacting the national human rights institution of the country of origin of alleged perpetrators. At the same time, efforts to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse continued, including through the recruitment of a system-wide coordinator of the task force on sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as through online training-of- trainers sessions for implementing partners on prevention. 12/29 20-12135 S/2020/944 X. Observations 51. As Haiti prepares to enter a new electoral cycle, the rapid dwindling of the national cohesion witnessed at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak is cause for serious concern. Despite the prevailing consensus on the need for a constitutional review prior to elections and comprehensive institutional reforms, national stakeholders have not come to an agreement over a political and broader reform agenda to address root causes of instability in Haiti. Furthermore, the institutional vacuum created by delayed parliamentary and local elections has further added to the polarization of the public debate. 52. A minimal political consensus, as well as a realistic plan for elections, to include an electoral framework, calendar, voter registry and budget, and a fully functional Provisional Electoral Council, are needed to ensure free, fair and transparent elections that will lend legitimacy to the political system and strengthen State institutions and good governance. Should this not be the case, the Haitian population could once more be the victim of the type of political violence that has plagued