(2024-Q1) Rapò chak trimès sou sitiyasyon dwa moun an Ayiti Janvye - Mas 2024

1 QUARTERLY REPORT ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN HAITI January - March 2024 2 Mapping of criminal groups 3 4 I. Gang violence Between January and March 2024, the Human Rights Service (HRS) of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) documented 2,505 victims of killings and injuries, with men accounting for 79% of victims, women 18% and children 3%. This represents an increase of more than 53% compared to the previous reporting period (October-December 2023), making the first three months of 2024 the most violent period since BINUH established its human rights monitoring mechanism in early 2022 1 . Meanwhile, the number of kidnappings for ransom decreased by 37% across the country. During the quarter, the highest number of victims of killings and injuries continued to be documented in the capital (79%) where, as a continuation of the violence documented at the end of 2023, extremely violent gang 1 In the fourth quarter of 2023, the HRS recorded 1,104 victims of killings and 532 victims of injuries. clashes spiked in January and February, driven mainly for territorial control and expansion. However, as of 29 February, with the self- proclaimed intention of removing the Government from power, most of the capital’s rival gangs shifted their tactics and joined a coalition, known as Viv Ansanm, whose creation had already been announced in September 2023. From that date onwards, members of this coalition, whose proclaimed representative appears to be Jimmy Chérizier, launched and coordinated attacks against key state institutions and strategic infrastructures, located throughout the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, including the international airport. Within this context, Prime Minister Ariel Henry was prevented from returning to Haiti after having left, in February, first to attend the 46 th summit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which took place in Guyana, and then to travel to Kenya. The mission to Kenya was to lead to the signing of an accord on the deployment of a Multinational Security Key findings • Between January and March 2024, at least 2,505 people were killed or injured as a result of gang-related violence, making the first three months of the year the most violent period since the beginning of 2022. At least 438 persons were kidnapped for ransom during the same period, all of them in the West and Artibonite departments, a decrease of 37% in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2023. • As of the end of February, gangs carried out large-scale, coordinated attacks against key public institutions and infrastructures in the capital. More than 4,600 inmates escaped from the two main prisons in the capital, and at least 22 police stations, sub-police stations and other police buildings were looted or set on fire, and 19 police officers were killed or injured. • Gangs continued to use sexual violence to attack residents living in “rival” neighborhood, as well as to recruit and use children to commit criminal activities. • Mob justice, carried out as part of the “Bwa Kalé” movement, as well as “self-defense” groups left at least 141 people dead across the country. 5 Support Mission to back up efforts of the Haitian police to tackle gang violence. On 11 March, in a message broadcast on national television, the Prime Minister announced his intention to resign immediately after the installation of a Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) 2 . As of 31 March, the council had not yet been established, but progress was being made, led by CARICOM, on the designation of the TPC members. On 25 March, one of the candidates nominated to the TPC announced her resignation following several threats, indicating that violence continued to impact the political transition. The Artibonite department continued to be highly affected by violence. Gangs continued to attack populations by indiscriminately shooting at residences and passersby or executing people for challenging their “authority”. They were also involved in kidnappings targeting passengers of public transports. Human rights abuses were also reported in Belladère, Hinche, Mirebalais, and Saut d’Eau (Central department). Law enforcement officers were implicated in human rights violations resulting from the excessive use of force against protestors in the context of nationwide anti-government protests, as well as during operations against gang members in the capital. Victims of killings and injuries Following the death, in November 2023, of Andrice Iskar, an influential leader within the G-9 in Family and Allies gang coalition (hereinafter, G- 9), a preexisting conflict over the sharing of sources of “revenue” intensified between gangs of this coalition and led several of them to break away from the group. In early 2024, these splinter groups formed strategic alliances with gangs belonging to a rival coalition, G-Pèp, and carried out coordinated attacks against G-9 gang members. The most violent attacks took place in the densely populated neighborhoods of the area known as La Plaine, which covers part of the 2 As of March 31, the Council had not yet been established, but progress was being made under the aegis of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). communes of Cité Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets and Tabarre. These attacks were mainly carried out by the Chen Mechan (G-9 dissident) and Canaan (G-PèP) gangs against the Pierre VI and Terre Noire (G-9) gangs, which have a strong presence in the area. Over the course of five days, between February 8 and 12, as they chased their rivals, gang members shot dead at least 127 residents who had taken refuge in their homes or were fleeing the violence in the streets. At the same time, in Cité Soleil, the Belekou, Boston, Simon Pelé and Terre Noire gangs (G-9), on one side, and the Brooklyn gang (G-PèP), supported by splinter groups from the G-9, on the other, clashed in different neighbors to extend their territorial control. The areas most affected were Belekou, Boston, Brooklyn and Drouillard, where local residents became victims of fire exchange. Large-scale gang attacks Location Number of people killed and injured 3 Duration of the attacks La Plaine (Blanchard, Duvivier, Fourgy, Sibert, Marin (Cité Soleil) and Croix-des-Missions (Tabarre) 367 5 days Belekou, Boston, Brookyln, Drouillard, Simon Pelé, Terre Noire (Cité Soleil) 246 28 days La Saline (Port-au-Prince) and Wharf Jérémie (Cité Soleil) 265 48 days Solino (Delmas) 82 5 days Carrefour and Gressier 162 During the quarter 3 This figure includes both members of the population and gang members. 6 Multiple locations across the capital during gang attacks against State institutions and infrastructure 52 22 days In addition, at least 66 residents of the Brooklyn neighborhood were targeted by sniper fire simply because they lived in a territory controlled by a rival gang. Many of these victims, including children, were shot while carrying out their daily activities in the streets, or going to work or to school. In the Cité Soleil and Port-au-Prince communes, the La Saline gang, supported by Grand Ravine and Village de Dieu (G-PèP), continued to fight with the Wharf Jérémie gang for control over the area surrounding the National Port Authority (APN), the main port of the capital. In the context of these clashes, residents were regularly targeted. In one instance, on 15 January, five people were shot dead in the Wharf Jérémie neighborhood because they were residents of La Saline. They had come to the neighborhood to celebrate a friend’s birthday. In Delmas, the Les Argentins gang (G-PèP) continued to attack the Solino neighborhood, in an effort to take control over the area, which offers a strategic route for quickly transporting kidnapping victims from their place of abduction in the Delmas commune to buildings in the Village de Dieu and Grand Ravine neighborhoods, where hostages are usually held while ransom negotiations are carried out. Furthermore, at least 162 victims were recorded in the Carrefour and Gressier communes, south of the capital, where Grand Ravine gang members (G-PèP) shot several people who had challenged their “authority” or were suspected of being police informants. The same gang intercepted several boats carrying local residents attempting to bypass the National Road 2 under their control. Dozens of people, including children, were kidnapped or killed by gunshot or machetes when using these boats. In response to this violence, the Caravane “self-defense” group, operating in these communes, killed at least 23 suspected gang members. In early January, clashes broke out on several occasions between the 400 Mawozo and Krazè Baryè gangs, in and around the locality of Nan Remi, in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets. The Krazè Baryè gang, which also experienced internal tensions resulting in at least 63 deaths in its ranks at the end of January, in its stronghold of Tabarre 70, attempted to extend its territory to the residential neighborhoods of Belvil, Peguy Ville and Vivy Michel in Pétion-Ville at the end of March. At least 38 people were killed or injured as a result of these incursions and subsequent anti-gang police operations. In the communes of Dessalines, l’Estère, Liancourt, Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite and Verrettes (Artibonite department), at least 94 persons, not involved in acts of violence, were killed or injured by gangs. Most of the casualties took place when gang members indiscriminately shot at residences and passersby. Other individuals were killed for challenging the gangs’ presence in the area. During the reporting period, abuses were reported in Belladère, Hinche, Mirebalais and Saut d’Eau (Central department). They involved mainly killings perpetrated by members of the local population against suspected G-PèP allied gang members, who were allegedly trying to set up a base in this department. Faced with the expansion of gang activities and the inability of state institutions to contain them, mob justice and “self-defense” groups continued their abuses. Between January and March, at least 62 adults, allegedly affiliated to gangs or suspected of having committed common crimes, were killed by the population with machetes and stones. Their bodies were often set on fire. More than half of these cases occurred in areas outside the capital, indicating a growing fear on the part of the population in these areas of the escalating violence affecting Port-au- Prince. As for organized “self-defense” groups, based in areas with a high gang presence, they were responsible for the killing of at least 79 people, including at least two children, aged 12 and 16. It is also important to note that the first quarter of 2024 saw a significant rise in the number of people killed or injured during police operations and 7 patrols, with 590 victims 4 . Many were apparently not involved in gang violence, and some were people living with mobility impairments. A case in point occurred on 14 March, in the Drouillard neighborhood (Cité Soleil), where two men, returning to their homes after having carried out their economic activities, were shot by police officers patrolling the streets in personal armored carriers. In the first quarter of 2024, at least 10 police officers were killed and another nine injured in anti-gang operations or targeted gang attacks on the police. The Public Prosecutor for the Nippes department, Jean Ernest Muscadin, reportedly continued to summarily execute people accused of gang affiliation. He reportedly killed two unarmed individuals on 25 January in the commune of Fonds des Nègres, and on 25 February in the commune of Miragoâne. Kidnappings At least 438 people were kidnapped 5 in the first quarter of 2024 6 . Most of the kidnappings (60%) took place in the Artibonite department, and targeted people travelling in public transport vehicles on the main roads. In this region, gangs continued to show extreme violence in their modus operandi, not hesitating to kill anyone who tried to resist. Such was the case on 24 January, when Gran Grif gang members opened fire on a public transportation vehicle passing through the Hâte Granmond commune, killing three people and seriously wounding nine others, after the driver refused to stop. In the West department, kidnappings decreased in the Port-au-Prince commune and parts of the Croix-des-Bouquets commune, but increased in other parts of the city, notably in the Tabarre and Pétion-Ville communes. Kidnappings of people traveling from the capital to the Southern departments of the country also increased compared with the previous quarter. Following the installation of a Grand Ravine gang’s new cell in Mariani, at the end of last year, residents of Gressier areas began using 4 345 people were killed or injured during police operations and patrols in the last quarter of 2023. 5 234 men, 183 women et 21 children boats to travel south and avoid the gang checkpoints along the roads. In response, the gang began carrying out attacks against these boats, spreading insecurity over the maritime area. During the period under review, at least 80 people were abducted while traveling in small boats. Sexual violence Sexual violence remained a salient feature of gang violence in the Port-au- Prince metropolitan area. In Cité Soleil, women and girls, using the Drouillard road, the only available route out of Brooklyn, were intercepted by gangs from “rival neighborhoods” and were raped by multiple perpetrators. Some were killed after being sexually assaulted. In downtown Port-au-Prince, gangs penetrated sites for internally displaced persons and subjected to sexual violence some individuals who had taken refuge there. For instance, on 29 March, Village de Dieu gang members entered the Gymnasium Vincent, an improvised site for internally displaced persons, took two girls aged three and 12 years old, and collectively raped them in a nearby area where they abandoned them afterwards. Sexual violence was also documented in Jacmel’s prison (South-East department). On the night of 4 to 5 March, male inmates broke into the women’s section of the prison and raped several women. A number of similar incidents have reportedly taken place in this prison in the past. Twenty of the alleged perpetrators were transferred to the Petit Goâve prison (West department), while the women were transferred to cells at the Jacmel’s police station to ensure their safety. Although the victims received sanitary kits, they did not have access to health services. 6 Between October and December 2023, at least 693 persons were kidnapped by gangs. 8 Threats against human rights defenders, journalists and State officials Following the escape of notorious gang leaders from the capital’s two main prisons on 2 and 3 March, and the attack on the residence of the Director General of the Police on 14 March, threats against human rights defenders increased considerably, leading many of them, living in Port- au-Prince and Artibonite, to leave their homes, to limit their movements and reduce their professional activities. In addition, the residences of the former director of the General Tax Department and the acting vice-president of the Superior Court of Auditors were ransacked and stolen in gang attacks in the Laboule district of Pétion-Ville. A journalist and former spokesman for former President Michel Martelly was also kidnapped in an attack in the Vivy Michel residential area of Pétion-Ville. In March, Delmas 6 gang leader, Jimmy Chérizier, made several audio threats, recorded by himself and broadcast on social media, against government officials, politicians, police (and their families) and members of the future Presidential Transition Council (CPT). Impact of gang violence on children The impact of gang violence on the rights of children remained of particular concern. At least 82 children, some as young as six years old, were killed or injured during the first quarter of 2024. Almost half of the victims were hit by bullets during violent gang attacks against their neighborhoods or clashes between gangs and the police. Twenty-two of them were killed or injured by a fire caused by an explosion inside a local store, when members of the population were looting it, encouraged by gangs. Further, pushed mainly by the lack of socio-economic opportunities, many children were recruited into the ranks of gangs where, in addition to carrying out low-level criminal activities, they also committed extremely violent acts, notably killings, kidnappings, attacks and looting against the buildings of State institutions, and extorsion of passersby and business owners. On 12 January, a 12-year-old boy travelling on a public transportation bus was stopped by members of the Caravane “self-defense” group, at an informal checkpoint, since he was transporting weapons and ammunition in his backpack. He was interrogated, then taken to a local cemetery and killed. The weapons that he was transporting were reportedly to supply members of the Grand Ravine gang. Gang violence also severely limited the access of children and their parents to education and health services and exacerbated their food insecurity. Impact of gang violence on economic, social and cultural rights During the quarter, the gangs continued to extort common transport vehicles and trucks transporting goods passing through the illegal checkpoints set up on the capital’s main roads. According to local sources, trucks transporting food products or fuel from the capital to the southern departments of the country were forced to pay “passage fees” of up to 3,000,000 HTG (around 22,600 USD) for each journey. Other gangs, such as the Delmas 6 gang, stepped up their extortion of businesses operating on their territory in recent months, using very violent means (including physical assaults and destruction of premises) to ensure payment was made. In March, members of the Delmas 6 and Tokyo gangs attacked and vandalized at least seven businesses in the Bas-Delmas area. These businesses were attacked despite the fact that, some of them, had been giving large sums of money to the gangs for years, in order to be able to continue operating. Since the end of February, the “self-defense” group Caravane, whose modus operandi is now very similar to that of the gangs, collected illegal fees from people passing along Route des Rails road (Carrefour commune). At the same time, at least 957 homes were damaged or looted by gang members, almost double the number of homes attacked during the previous quarter. More than half (59%) of these attacks took place in the Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets communes during or immediately after gang attacks. Almost 130 private business and 650 vehicles were also attacked. These abuses forced more than 54,000 people to flee their homes and neighborhoods since January, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More than half of them were children. 9 It should be noted that as of February 29, with the aim of overthrowing the government, most of the capital’s gangs attacked key state institutions and strategic infrastructures located in different parts of the capital. Toussaint Louverture international airport in Tabarre, the Police Academy in Pétion- Ville, the National Palace, the offices of the ministries and the main police buildings in the Champ de Mars neighborhood of Port-au-Prince were all targeted, some of them multiple times. In total, at least 30 public institutions and 22 police stations and sub-stations were attacked, set on fire and/or ransacked. Repeated gunfire at and around the international airport since the beginning of March led all national and international airlines to suspend flights to Port-au-Prince. The suspension of these flights and gang control of the main routes in and out of the capital continued to prevent the delivery of essential goods, including medicines and food. In addition, on March 6, approximately 250 people, including gang members and members of the population, attacked the National Port Authority (ANP) and the nearby Caribbean Port Services (CPS) container storage facility. During this incident, they stole the contents of around 260 containers, many of which belonged to United Nations humanitarian agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations 7 . Health and education institutions were not spared this quarter. At least three health centers, located in the communes of Delmas, Port-au-Prince and Tabarre, were robbed and vandalized, and the hospital of the State University of Port-au-Prince was abandoned by medical staff and most of its patients, following confrontations between police and gangs present in the Champ de Mars area. At the end of March, at least three schools in downtown Port-au-Prince were vandalized by gang members. 7 https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/armed-violence-deepening-malnutrition- crisis-children-haiti 8 Guy Philippe served a six-year sentence in a US prison for his role in money- laundering and drug-trafficking and has relied extensively on the support of BSAP affiliates to call for civil unrest and the departure of the Prime Minister since his II. Demonstrations and civil unrest From 11 January to 7 February, anti-government demonstrations and public disturbances, allegedly encouraged in part by Guy Philippe 8 , took place in eight of the country’s ten departments, as well as in the capital. This movement, fueled by political opposition groups calling for the departure of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, was supported in some departments by elements affiliated to the Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP), an operational unit of the National Protected Areas Agency, which is part of the Ministry of the Environment. BSAP members not only took part in demonstrations, but also used threats to force businesses and schools to close down. At least 22 people were killed and 48 9 injured in the public disturbances documented during these demonstrations, most as a result of police interventions to control crowds. Among these incidents, five people affiliated to BSAP were killed in a clash with the police in Pétion-Ville on February 7. III. Judicial system Functioning of the judiciary Strikes, delays in magistrate appointments, and gang attacks against courts continued to weaken the functioning of the judicial system across the country. On 9 January, the Union of Bailiffs of Haiti declared a work stoppage due to the Government’s inaction on salary adjustments, the lack of a Bailiff’s Training School, and transportation issues for prosecutors. They joined the national court clerks, who have been on strike since 12 December 2023. During the month of January, the terms of all judges at the Port-de-Paix Court of First Instance expired, causing the court to cease functioning. return to Haiti in November 2023. Two criminal cases involving him are still pending in Haiti. 9 22 people killed: 18 men, 3 women and 1 child; 48 people injured: 44 men, 1 woman and 3 children. 10 Additionally, four judges handling high-profile cases in Port-au-Prince saw their mandates end. In an attempt to mitigate this reduction in the number of magistrates, eight new judges were appointed to various Courts of First Instance across the country. In this context, the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) certified 30 magistrates, while dismissing 12 others. Further contributing to the dysfunction of the judiciary system, at least six buildings housing justice officials were attacked by protestors and gang members across the country. These buildings include the Courts of Peace in Gonaïves (Artibonite department), Trou du Nord (North-East department), Delmas 28 (West department) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Petit-Goâve. Fight against corruption In the investigation into alleged corruption affecting the National Equipment Center, judge Al Duniel Dimanche issued, on 5 January, subpoenas on corruption charges to 40 former Haitian high-ranking officials, including former Presidents of the Republic and a former Prime Minister. Two individuals were questioned, while the others refused to appear before the court, leading the judge to issue arrest warrants, then international arrest warrants via Interpol, and finally travel bans against those subpoenaed. This escalation prompted complaints from some civil society organizations. Judge Dimanche’s mandate expired on 29 January. Despite this, on 22 February, he attempted to temporarily close the National Equipment Center, which was deemed inappropriate by the CSPJ. The CSPJ also asked him to refrain from taking any investigative action until his mandate was eventually renewed. On 3 March, a new judge, Merlan Belabre, was appointed to lead the investigation. Emblematic cases In the first quarter of 2024, no action was taken in the cases concerning the Grand Ravine (2017), La Saline (2018) and Bel Air (2019) massacres nor the case concerning the murder of Monferrier Dorval (2020). On 30 January, the Port-au-Prince Public Prosecutor’s Office released its final indictment in the case of former President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination, requesting trial for 75 defendants on various charges, including murder. Among those charged were the widow of former President Moïse and former Foreign Minister Claude Joseph, as well as two key members of the BSAP, Miradieu Faustin and Jeantel Joseph. Miradieu Faustin was in preventive detention at the Port-au-Prince national penitentiary but escaped during the March 2 attack. On 4 March, five suspects who were still in prison and had not escaped following the same attack, were released on the orders of the investigating judge, Walther Voltaire, for lack of sufficient charges to refer them to the criminal court. Meanwhile, in the United States, on 9 February, Joseph Vincent, an American of Haitian origin and former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) informant, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the assassination of President Moïse. Frederick Joseph Bergmann Jr also admitted guilt and is awaiting sentencing. Furthermore, as of 14 February, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian American pastor already indicted in connection with this case, has faced new charges in a Miami federal court, including conspiracy to kill or kidnap the President. These charges carry a life imprisonment penalty. Two criminal cases involving Guy Philippe are still pending in Haiti. He is accused of instigating a violent attack against a farmer’s cooperative and terrorizing residents by shooting high-caliber weapons in the North-West department in 2004. Additionally, he is accused of participating in an armed attack, in 2016 in Les Cayes (South department), against the police station, prison, and the police Departmental Public Order Unit (UDMO). Neither case has significantly moved forward. Detention conditions in Haitian prisons On 2 and 3 March, the capital’s two main prisons, the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince and the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, were 11 attacked by gang members 10 . Following these attacks, over 4,600 inmates escaped, including several notorious gang leaders, most of whom returned to their “fiefs”. In addition, local sources indicate that many of the escapees joined and strengthened the ranks of several gangs. After the attacks, the police arrested several escapees, while others were killed in exchanges of fire. As of 31 March, according to Human Rights Service data, at least five had been killed by police or “self-defense” groups, while three others had been arrested. These escapes had a mechanical impact on the national prison population. As of 31 March 2024, 7,296 people were being held in Haiti’s 19 prisons (11,822 in the previous quarter). Eighty-two percent of these were on pre- trial detention, a 1% decreased compared with the fourth quarter of 2023. The cell occupancy rate was 287%. During the period under review, 28 inmates died, most of them from diseases caused by malnutrition. As part of the efforts to reduce prolonged pre-trial detention, in prisons outside the capital, between 11 and 15 March, 26 persons (25 male and one female), detained for minor crimes, were released from Jacmel’s prison by the Public Prosecutor. Additionally, on 22 March, the Public Prosecutor of Les Cayes released 15 prisoners detained for minor offences from the civil prison of Les Cayes, following a special correctional hearing. Eight of the individuals released had been identified by the Human Rights Service, in collaboration with lawyers from the Haitian Bureau for Human Rights (BHDH), as potential candidates for release through these proceedings, during a visit to the prison in November 2023. Investigations into human rights violations committed by police officers The Human Rights Service continued to support the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police (IGPNH). Between 1 January and 31 March, the HRS documented 31 new incidents involving at least 92 people killed or injured. During the same period, 33 investigations involving 39 police officers in allegations of human rights violations were opened by the 10 A few days before these large-scale attacks, the Cabaret women’s prison, whose inmates had already been relocated in June 2023, had also been vandalized by gang members. IGPNH, but none were concluded, and no recommendations were made by the IGPNH for sanctions or judicial follow-up. It is also important to note that an investigation was opened into the conduct of police officers, following the 2 and 3 March escapes from the National Penitentiary and the Croix-des-Bouquets prisons. Widespread insecurity clearly prevented IGPNH personnel from carrying out their investigations. IV. Support for national institutions and civil society During the first quarter of 2024, the Human Rights Service continued to support national authorities and civil society organizations in their efforts to ensure the respect, protection and promotion of human rights. However, due to escalating insecurity and targeted violence against state institutions and threats against civil society representatives, most capacity-building activities were suspended as of February 29. Support to civil society organizations On 23 February, with technical and financial support from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Governance Group, a Haitian civil society organization, organized a capacity-building session on the fight against corruption and electoral fraud for 27 journalists, including nine women. From 7 to 13 January, the Human Rights Service carried out a mission to the towns of Cap-Haïtien, Fort Liberté and Ouanaminthe (North and North-East departments) to follow up on the community talks carried out between July and October 2023 as part of the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) anti-corruption program. The aim of the visit was to engage local stakeholders, including public service managers and civil society representatives, on the impact of corruption on the local population. 12 Support to public institutions On 21 February, the Human Rights Service held a working session with the Interministerial Committee on Human Rights (CIDP) to review and select priority CIDP activities to be funded to support Haiti in its efforts to implement the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Selected activities include finalizing the national human rights action plan, training CIDP focal points in the use of the recommendations follow-up database, drafting Haiti’s UPR mid-term report and updating Haiti’s report on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The project is due to start in April. The Human Rights Section also supported the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) in providing training to enhance magistrates’ skills in investigating sexual violence in Haiti. Thirty magistrates from the Hinche, Gonaïves, Mirebalais and Port-de-Paix jurisdictions took part in the training sessions held on 26 and 27 February 2024, in Hinche (Centre department). Two magistrates from the School of Magistrates delivered these training sessions, highlighting best practices and sensitive approaches to dealing with victims, and emphasizing the importance of adapting investigative methods to the social realities specific to each jurisdiction. In turn, participants had the opportunity to share the challenges they faced and explore innovative solutions to ensure a judicial response that is both effective and sensitive to victims. Protection Between 1 January and 31 March, the Human Rights Service referred 745 victims of protection incidents (including 166 children and 579 women) to UN agencies and community organizations, with a view to providing them with a holistic response. Their needs included medical and psychosocial support, assistance with relocation and resettlement, and access to health services. 13 Recommendations: • To the international community: keep Haiti on the international agenda and accelerate the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission in accordance with human rights norms and standards, as adopted by Security Council resolution 2699 (2023). • To the international community: update the list of persons and entities subject to sanctions for supporting, preparing, ordering, or committing acts contrary to international human rights law, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2653 (2022). • To the states of the region: strengthen and increase inspections of shipments bound for Haiti on their territory, including seaports and airports, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2653 (2022), which imposes an arms embargo. • To the Haitian government: with the support of the international community, secure the international airport and seaports to ensure the delivery of essential goods. • To the Haitian government: with the support of the international community, to set up a rehabilitation and reintegration program for minors involved in gangs. • To the Haitian government: with the support of the international community, strengthen the availability, accessibility and quality of medical and psychosocial care systems for survivors of sexual violence, and build the capacity and awareness of the police and judiciary to combat impunity for sexual violence and the stigmatization of victims. • To the government of Haiti: with the support of the international community, support the judicial system, in particular by setting up judicial units specialized in the fight against corruption and mass crimes, including those involving sexual violence. 14 Appendix I - Charts