(2004-04) Report of the Secretary-General on Haiti (S/2004/300)

United Nations • 2004 • 33 pages

Summary — Secretary-General's assessment of Haiti after President Aristide's February 2004 departure, recommending the establishment of MINUSTAH with up to 6,700 troops and 1,622 civilian police to stabilize the country and support the transition.

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Key Findings

The Haitian National Police nearly collapsed during the February 2004 insurgency, falling from about 5,000 to no more than 2,500 officers, or one officer per 3,300 citizens, and all inmates in the country's 21 detention centres were set free. Approximately 52 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line, HIV prevalence stood at an estimated 4.5 per cent in 2002, and 40 per cent of Haiti's revenues came from remittances. The March 2004 Flash Appeal sought $35 million for six months of humanitarian assistance for 3 million people. The Secretary-General recommended establishing MINUSTAH with up to 6,700 troops and 1,622 civilian police, with transfer of authority from the Multinational Interim Force by 1 June 2004.

Full Description

Submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1529 (2004), this report presents the findings of a multidisciplinary assessment mission dispatched to Haiti in March 2004 after the armed insurgency and the departure of President Aristide on 29 February. It reviews the installation of the transitional government under Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, the 4 April Consensus on the Political Transition Pact, and plans for municipal, parliamentary and presidential elections in 2005. The security section documents the near collapse of the Haitian National Police, reduced to no more than 2,500 officers, the freeing of all prisoners during the insurgency, and widespread arms proliferation. The report describes bleak social conditions, with about 52 per cent of the population below the poverty line and the highest HIV prevalence outside sub-Saharan Africa, and outlines priorities in food, health, education and employment. It concludes by recommending a multidimensional United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) with up to 6,700 troops and 1,622 civilian police for an initial 24 months.

Topics

Geography

Time Coverage

2004 — 2004

Keywords

S/2004/300, MINUSTAH, Multinational Interim Force, Haitian National Police, transitional government, disarmament demobilization reintegration, rule of law, 2005 elections, human rights, humanitarian assistance, Security Council, series:minustah-sg

Entities

United Nations Security Council; MINUSTAH; Multinational Interim Force; Boniface Alexandre; Gérard Latortue; Jean-Bertrand Aristide; Yvon Neptune; Fanmi Lavalas; Conseil des sages; CARICOM; Organization of American States; Haitian National Police; UNDP; World Bank; Louis Joinet; John Reginald Dumas; Hocine Medili

Notes

UN document S/2004/300 via ReliefWeb; ayitistats wave B; SG-report series (full, per user), dedupe vs BINUH holdings at ingest