Backing from the brink: assessing Haiti’s security sector and opportunities for future security sector governance and reform programming
- Haiti's security sector is characterized by a dynamic interplay of actors with limited state capacity.
- The PNH faces structural weaknesses, including insufficient personnel and training.
- The MSS is transitioning into a Gang Suppression Force with an enhanced mandate.
- International partners need to improve coordination and strategic alignment of security assistance.
- Strategic planning and institutional reforms are crucial for long-term security sector governance.
This summary report provides an overview of an assessment of the security sector in Haiti conducted by DCAF at the request of Switzerland, France, and Germany. The assessment offers a security threat profile, an analysis of the security ecosystem and its challenges, and an examination of the Multinational Security Support Mission's transition into the Gang Suppression Force. It also maps security assistance provided by international partners and provides recommendations for improved governance and effectiveness of the security sector, covering topics such as international coordination, strategic planning, internal control, DDR, psychosocial support, gender, and maritime security. The assessment took place from November 2024 to November 2025.
How to cite
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), 2025, Backing from the brink: assessing Haiti’s security sector and opportunities for future security sector governance and reform programming, https://www.dcaf.ch/backing-brink-assessing-haitis-security-sector-and-opportunities-future-ssgr-programming