Report of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti (E/2023/63)

United Nations E/2023/63 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 18 April 2023 Original: English 23-07308 (E) 010523 *2307308* 2023 session 25 July 2022–26 July 2023 Agenda item 12 (e) Coordination, programme and other questions: long-term programme of support for Haiti Report of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti Summary The present report is submitted pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 2022/20, by which the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti was requested to submit a report on its work, with recommendations, as appropriate, to the Council for its consideration at its 2023 session. The report covers the activities carried out by the Group from July 2022 to March 2023, including meetings with national authorities and representatives of civil society, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, the United Nations country team, regional organizations and international financial institutions. These meetings have provided valuable insights on the situation in Haiti and helped the Group to develop some of the recommendations contained in the present report. The report contains a description of the very challenging situation in Haiti, with significant and increasing violence by armed gangs during a continuous political deadlock that has exacerbated the already dire socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the country, which, during the reporting period, was also characterized by a new cholera outbreak and alarming levels of food insecurity. The Group recommends that the security and political crises be addressed with urgency. This would require an inclusive national dialogue to move towards restoring democratic institutions in the country. It would also require a comprehensive approach to re-establishing security through measures to strengthen the Haitian National Police and initiatives to address the structural causes of violence, including in the socioeconomic sphere. The Group underscores the urgency of addressing the immediate humanitarian needs of Haitians, which have emerged as a result of the cholera outbreak and the food crisis, while laying the foundation for medium- and long-term development. This requires, inter alia, significant investment in the country’s agricultural, health, educational and social protection sectors to enhance resilience. Promoting approaches E/2023/63 23-07308 2/17 based on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus will be crucial in building long- term stability and ensuring sustainable development. The Group stresses that, to help to address the complex and interlocking challenges faced by Haiti, there is a need for continuous engagement by the international community, including within the framework of South-South cooperation, working in close coordination with the Haitian authorities and actors to successfully help Haiti to pursue a path to stability and sustainable development. E/2023/63 3/17 23-07308 I. Introduction 1. The Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti was initially created in 1999 by the Economic and Social Council through its resolution 1999/4 and was reactivated five years later through Council decision 2004/322. It is composed of the Permanent Representatives of Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Haiti, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America and Uruguay to the United Nations. Three new members – the Permanent Representatives of Kenya, Barbados and Saint Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations – joined the Group on 31 October 2022 (Council decision 2023/201A), 7 December 2022 (Council decision 2023/201B) and 5 April 2023 (Council decision 2023/201C), respectively. Since November 2004, the Group has been chaired by the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. As stipulated in decision 2004/322, the President of the Council and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti are invited to take part in the meetings of the Group. 2. In its resolution 2022/20, the Council decided to extend the mandate of the Group until the conclusion of the 2023 session, with the purpose of following closely and providing advice on the long-term development strategy of Haiti to promote socioeconomic recovery, reconstruction and stability, with particular attention to the need to ensure coherence and sustainability in international support for the country. The Council requested that the Group submit a report on its activities for the Council’s consideration at its 2023 session. 3. The present report is the nineteenth submitted to the Council by the Group since its reactivation in 2004. It highlights the main findings and recommendations of the Group following its meetings with Haitian authorities and various stakeholders, including representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organization of American States. Given the difficult security situation in Haiti during the reporting period, the Group did not carry out a visit to Haiti but consulted a wide range of stakeholders through hybrid and in-person meetings. The annex to the present report contains an overview of the activities undertaken by the Group during the reporting period. II. Current Haitian context A. Political and security situation 4. Nearly three years after the assassination of the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, on 7 July 2021, the country is still in the middle of a deep political crisis. The Government continues to be led by the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. In the absence of elections, the terms of the remaining parliamentarians came to a definite end on 9 January 2023. On 21 December 2022, a broad range of political, economic and social stakeholders signed a road map called the National Consensus for an Inclusive Transition and Transparent Elections. The Government has also agreed to the road map, which paves the way for elections to be held in 2023 and a new elected government to take office on 7 February 2024. Efforts are under way to broaden support for the current transitional arrangements, including through an inclusive political dialogue focused on restoring security and the country’s democratic institutions and putting the country on the path to stability. 5. Against that backdrop, gangs have exploited their easy access to weapons and ammunition, have grown significantly in power and have extended their territorial E/2023/63 23-07308 4/17 control throughout the capital and into other parts of the country. It is estimated that some 200 gangs operate across Haiti, including 95 in Port-au-Prince. 1 This has resulted in a deep security crisis involving high levels of violence and human rights violations, sexual violence, kidnappings and forced displacements. A spike in violence caused by gang clashes in Port-au-Prince between May and June 2022 that resulted in the killing of some 500 people led to widespread protests, which intensified after the Prime Minister announced cuts in fuel subsidies on 11 September 2022. 6. The siege of Varreux, the country’s main fuel terminal, by armed gangs from September to November 2022 was a clear demonstration of the power that they exert. The siege resulted in acute fuel shortages that caused the sudden shutdown of hospitals, schools, telecommunication services and many businesses, leading to a shortage of basic goods and clean water. It also affected the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance at the same time as the country was facing an outbreak of cholera. Although the Haitian National Police eventually gained control of the Varreux fuel terminal, gangs continued to control the country’s most essential roads and interchanges, which link the capital with the northern and southern provinces. 7. In this context of significant deterioration of the security environment, in October 2022, the Security Council adopted resolution 2653 (2022), by which it established a sanctions regime in Haiti. On 7 October 2022, the Government of Haiti requested the deployment of an international specialized armed force to assist the national police in addressing gang violence. Further to the request, on 8 October, the Secretary-General addressed a letter to the President of the Security Council in which he presented options for providing enhanced security to Haiti (S/2022/747). 8. The Group remains deeply concerned that the security situation continues to have a significant and daily impact on the lives of Haitians and hinders progress on socioeconomic development in the country. The Group urges the international community to assist in the country’s efforts to address its political and security challenges, on the basis of Haitian-led processes and solutions. It also notes that those efforts should be accompanied by comprehensive social and economic development to build the country’s self-reliance and resilience and ensure the sustainability of any assistance provided. 9. The reporting period was characterized by a further worsening of food security in the country. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis published in March 2023, a record 4.9 million people in Haiti – approximately half the country’s population – currently face acute hunger (phase 3 and above), up from 4.7 million in September 2022, including 1.8 million people in the emergency phase (phase 4). In 2022, Haiti ranked 116 out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index. The situation of children is particularly worrisome, given that 3.7 per cent of children under 5 suffer from wasting, reflecting acute undernutrition, 21.9 per cent of children under 5 are stunted and 6 per cent of children die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments. 2 10. The drivers of food insecurity in Haiti are complex. One of the main reasons is the poor performance of the agricultural sector due to structural causes such as the nature of land tenure systems, fragile ecosystems, vulnerability to natural disasters and climate shocks, inadequate infrastructure and limited financing. Moreover, Haiti __________________ 1 Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, “Gangs of Haiti: expansion, power and an escalating crisis”, 17 October 2022. 2 Global Hunger Index, “Haiti”. Available at https://www.globalhungerindex.org/haiti.html#:~: text=In%20the%202022%20Global%20Hunger,of%20hunger%20that%20is%20serious (accessed on 31 October 2022). E/2023/63 5/17 23-07308 continues to feel the effects of the trade liberalization of the 1980s and 1990s, which, by facilitating cheap food imports, affected the competitiveness of the country’s food and agricultural sector. Haiti is now heavily dependent on food imports, which account for more than half of the total food and 80 per cent of the rice consumed by Haitians, making Haiti very vulnerable to external shocks. 11. During the past year, disruptions in the global food supply chain, financial tightening through rising interest rates and the war in Ukraine have caused an unprecedented shock to the global food system. In Haiti, prices of locally produced food and imported food commodities have risen, reflecting the reduced supplies and the increased challenges in access to food. Over the previous 12 months, a 98 per cent increase in the value of the food basket was observed. This, coupled with the slowdown of the Haitian economy due to mounting insecurity, made access to food particularly difficult, especially for the most vulnerable households. 12. The Group learned that the national policy for food sovereignty, food security and nutrition, adopted by the Government in 2021 and implemented with the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is focused on supporting local agriculture, including by increasing the control of food imports and raising food import taxes. The policy is an opportunity to leverage policy decisions towards a more productive and resilient food system and, in addition to providing a framework to improve food security and food sovereignty, can also provide the foundation for building cohesion in line with the humanitarian- development-peace nexus. 13. The Group also learned of important initiatives carried out by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to address the immediate emergency food needs while also helping to build resilient and productive food systems. These include the homegrown school feeding programme implemented by the World Food Programme, FAO and their partners, which is based on decentralized food procurement sourced locally from smallholders, thereby supporting local agricultural production and increasing school retention. The Group also learned that the International Fund for Agricultural Development is working closely with the Haitian diaspora to create job opportunities for young people in rural areas and to help to reverse the emigration of individuals with high levels of human capital and skills, also known as “brain drain”. 14. Moreover, some non-governmental organizations are implementing programmes through a community development approach, through which humanitarian aid is successfully integrated into development efforts in the areas of food, health, water and sanitation, housing, education and income generation. The Group is of the view that Caribbean agricultural institutions can play an important role in supporting efforts in Haiti to improve food security in the context of South- South cooperation. The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture would be well placed to support agricultural development in Haiti through the implementation of commodity production programmes to help to build resilience. 15. The Group stresses the urgent need for action to enhance humanitarian and development efforts to build resilience in Haiti, in particular for the most vulnerable, by investing in agricultural livelihoods and food systems, including through disaster risk reduction, anticipatory approaches and early warning and early action systems, to more effectively prevent, prepare for and respond to food crises. The Group calls for scaled up investments in sustainable agrifood systems in Haiti and encourages efforts at all levels to support climate-smart agricultural practices, as well as measures to strengthen the resilience of those in vulnerable situations, emphasizing adaptation E/2023/63 23-07308 6/17 to climate change as a major priority and objective for all farmers, in particular small- scale food producers. B. Deteriorating humanitarian situation amid a new cholera outbreak 16. Humanitarian needs continue to grow, driven by food insecurity and compounded by a new cholera outbreak and the existing needs that arose from the 2021 earthquake in the country’s southern peninsula. In 2023, some 5.2 million people require humanitarian assistance, which is a 15.6 per cent increase from 2022. 17. Between 2 October 2022, when cholera reappeared in the country, and 3 March 2023, 389 cholera-related deaths, 2,447 confirmed cases and 34,651 suspected cases had been recorded in 10 departments, with the median age of cholera patients being 18 years. The lack of testing capacity and an overall shortage of medical supplies mean that cases are likely being underreported. The Group learned that, to jump-start the response, in October 2022, the Central Emergency Response Fund allocated $7 million to United Nations entities that are helping the Ministry of Public Health and Population to address the emergency. A vaccination campaign targeting the most vulnerable people in the West and Centre Departments is currently under way, and 112 cholera treatment centres with medical facilities have been established. Moreover, the Pan American Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, together with humanitarian partners, are undertaking campaigns to sensitize the population on cholera prevention and are delivering clean drinking water and sanitation services. The Group welcomed the efforts of the Government of Haiti, with support from the United Nations and other international, national and local civil society organizations, to mount an effective cholera response based on the experience and expertise of the national authorities. 18. More than 155,000 people, including many women and children, have been displaced from their communities because of gang violence. Women and girls face restrictions in movement and, in some cases, have been displaced from their homes, increasing their vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence. The United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the Spotlight Initiative and partners are providing psychosocial support and other services to survivors of sexual and gender- based violence. However, the insecurity and the lack of funding are limiting the response. 19. The Group is concerned about the increasing humanitarian needs in the country and the continuing access challenges because of gang violence, which prevents Haitians from accessing much-needed humanitarian assistance. The Group noted that United Nations humanitarian entities have managed to operate through community engagement and arduous negotiations while incurring increasing operational costs. 20. The Group is also concerned that the 2022 humanitarian response plan in Haiti received only 50 per cent of its $373.2 million funding requirement and that the 2022 cholera flash appeal received only 9.6 per cent of its $145.6 million funding requirement. The Group calls upon donors to provide the necessary support for the humanitarian response, including to address the cholera outbreak, to ensure that the most vulnerable people receive the assistance they need. 21. The Group also underscores the need for humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors in Haiti to enhance complementarity across pillars, through the application of approaches based on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and the principle of do no harm, to maximize the impact of interventions and help to move E/2023/63 7/17 23-07308 the country from immediate emergency interventions towards long-term sustainable development and stability. C. Increasingly difficult socioeconomic conditions 22. The reporting period was characterized by a continuous deterioration of socioeconomic conditions as the country struggled to recover from the lingering coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the effects of the 2021 earthquake in its southern peninsula amid the ongoing political and security crises. In the 2021/22 fiscal year, national gross domestic product contracted for its fourth consecutive year, reaching 1.7 per cent. The outlook for 2023 remains bleak, and the World Bank expects a contraction of 1.1 per cent for the 2022/23 fiscal year. Advancing reforms is critical in order to strengthen governance and provide a foundation for sustainable economic growth. The 2021/22 fiscal year was also marked by increasing inflation and a depreciation of the exchange rate. In December 2022, year-on-year inflation reached 48.3 per cent, more than double from the year 2020 and a level not seen in nearly two decades. The local currency – the gourde – has depreciated by 19.8 per cent against the United States dollar. In a move to preserve the internal value of the currency, international reserves were depleted, declining by 71 per cent, from $485 million in 2021 to $141 million in 2022. All these factors have contributed to making life very difficult for the Haitian people, in particular the poorest households. 23. The ability of the Government to boost economic growth and ensure the delivery of basic social services remains limited, in part because of the difficulties in collecting taxes to generate sufficient revenue. The Government expects to increase the collection of taxes and social contributions, reaching a ratio of 6 per cent of total revenue in 2023. The Government increased fivefold the 2022/23 budget for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, reaching 30.6 billion gourdes, or 11.6 per cent of the total budget. Gains in customs tariffs in the first quarter of the 2022/23 fiscal year nearly doubled, which could strengthen the Government's ability to allocate resources to the social sectors. The precarious economic situation is further compounded by the volatility in remittances. Remittances are important in helping families to have access to food and services, and their reduction will likely negatively affect the living standards of a large part of the population. 24. The national policy for social protection and social progress is aimed at reducing, by 2040, poverty, inequalities and economic, social and structural inequities in Haiti. The policy includes a focus on health, with the aim of addressing health inequalities, including through the elimination of user fees for essential health services. In the 2021/22 budget, the Government allocated $27.6 million to support the implementation of the national policy. The Group stresses the importance of implementing the policy, which will be instrumental in helping to achieve universal health coverage in Haiti. 25. Children’s access to education has been restricted as a result of a number of recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the earthquake and violent political events that occurred in 2021, which destroyed or heavily damaged 1,250 schools. Increasing insecurity means that families do not send their children to school for fear of being caught in the crossfire from clashes among rival gangs. Moreover, schools are increasingly targeted by armed groups. In February 2023, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that shootings, ransacking, looting and kidnappings in schools had increased ninefold in one year and that 25 per cent of schools remained closed owing to insecurity. As of February 2023, an estimated 1 million Haitian children were out of school as a result of social unrest and insecurity, as well as because of high education costs, given that 85 per cent of schools are private. E/2023/63 23-07308 8/17 26. The Group underscores the importance of equitable access to affordable and quality education and skills development to provide children and youth with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive. The Group is concerned about children who are out of school, not only because they are deprived of education, which gives girls and boys better life opportunities, but also because they are vulnerable to increased risks of violence, including sexual violence, as well as early pregnancy and recruitment by armed gangs. The Group is of the view that education is crucial to breaking the cycle of violence and poverty and helping the country to advance on the path to sustainable development. At the same time, efforts are needed to create job opportunities for young women and girls, including through public-private partnerships. 27. The Group welcomes the community violence reduction programmes targeting youth at risk of recruitment by armed gangs that are being implemented by the United Nations as a means to prevent and reduce violence. The programmes are instrumental in helping to reduce the economic reasons for joining armed groups by providing incentives to leave the groups through short-term employment. Such engagement is also important for achieving the goals of the youth and peace and security agenda in Haiti through youth-led early warning and the establishment and reinforcement of local platforms for young men and women. D. Human rights, rule of law and administration of justice 28. Violence and crime are having a negative impact on the human rights situation in the country, as armed gangs increasingly target the local population during inter-gang turf battles as they vie to extend their territorial control, in particular across the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. The number of reported homicides in 2022 increased by approximately 35.2 per cent compared with the previous year, with 2,183 victims reported, while kidnappings increased by 104.7 per cent, with 1,359 victims (S/2023/41, para. 13). Also worrying is the deliberate use of sexual violence, including rape, as a weapon to inflict terror and to punish and humiliate local populations, as noted in a report by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights entitled “Sexual violence in Port-au-Prince: a weapon used by gangs to instil fear”, issued in October 2022. The United Nations Population Fund recorded more than 16,400 cases of gender-based violence in 2022, although cases are likely underreported because of fear of retribution by armed groups, the lack of trust in the police and justice system and the limited availability of services for survivors. Some national police officers have also reportedly used excessive force against the population during protests, resulting in the killing of 34 people (Ibid., para. 41). 29. The national police continue to take measures to fight crime and violence, including through anti-gang operations and increased patrols, facilitated by new armoured vehicles and equipment. Despite these efforts, the police continue to suffer from understaffing, underfunding and the lack of adequate operational capacity to successfully tackle gang violence. Advocacy is ongoing to urge donors to provide more support for the basket fund for the police. 30. The Group underscores the need to provide the national police with the support necessary to successfully address the threat posed by armed criminal gangs. It also stresses that any support should include training and vetting measures to ensure police compliance with international standards of human rights and professional conduct. The Group also underscores that adopting a holistic approach to security is essential to ensure that initiatives to strengthen the police are implemented concomitantly with measures to promote and protect human rights and address socioeconomic development. E/2023/63 9/17 23-07308 31. The fragility of the police and other State institutions, in particular the judiciary, has fuelled the lawlessness in the country. Corruption and impunity remain concerning and are some of the main structural impediments to stability and sustainable development. Haiti ranks 171 out of 180 countries in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index of 2022, seven positions lower than in the previous year. 3 The Group underscores the need for the Government of Haiti to adopt effective measures to combat corruption, including to implement the national anti- corruption strategy. During the reporting period, on 11 November 2022, the Council of Ministers appointed Judge Jean-Joseph Lebrun as the President of the Court of Cassation, thus filling a post that had been vacant since June 2021. On 26 February 2023, the Council also appointed the eight judges needed to fill the remaining seats in the Court. It is hoped that the decision will help to restore the Court and strengthen the administration of justice. 32. The Group is concerned about the absence of adequate security arrangements for justice personnel, victims and witnesses, limited judicial independence and inadequate funding for the functioning of the courts and legal assistance programmes. The Group notes that strengthening the justice system is imperative so that progress can be made in investigating and prosecuting serious crimes, such as those regarding the massacres that occurred in La Saline (2018) and Bel Air (2019) and the assassinations of the Chief of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association, Monferrier Dorval, (2020) and of President Moïse (2021). The Group underscores the need to strengthen efforts to restore the rule of law and ensure the administration of justice and to carry out efforts to combat human rights violations and corruption. 33. The Group is further concerned about the situation in prisons, which are significantly overcrowded, with an occupancy rate at 278.8 per cent, and underfunded, making it difficult to provide for the most basic needs of inmates, including regular meals and medical services. Of the 11,161 individuals detained as at 31 December 2022, 83.1 per cent were being held in pretrial detention, indicating the need to take urgent action. The Group welcomes the establishment on 14 October 2022 of an ad hoc committee composed of the National Ombudsman, the Chief Prosecutor of the Port-au-Prince jurisdiction, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety, high-ranking judges, police and penitentiary authorities and members of the National Legal Aid Council to address the issue of pretrial detention, which resulted in the endorsement of a list of 350 detainees eligible for release (S/2023/41, para. 33). The initiative has so far facilitated the release of 68 of those inmates. 34. The Group is concerned that, to escape the difficult conditions in Haiti, many migrants make risky journeys, including through irregular migrant routes. The Group appreciates the work carried out by the International Organization for Migration and other organizations in support of Haitian migrants and underscores that repatriation should be conducted in safety and dignity. It is of crucial importance that migrants, in particular those in vulnerable situations, receive the assistance they need, particularly given that they may have faced a series of health and protection concerns during their journeys. The Group calls upon the international community to support these important efforts. 35. The Group continues to encourage the Government of Haiti to support the establishment of a stand-alone office of the United Nations High Commissioner for __________________ 3 The Corruption Perceptions Index score represents the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0–100, where 0 means highly corrupt and 100 means very clean (https://www.transparency.org/ en/news/how-cpi-scores-are-calculated). E/2023/63 23-07308 10/17 Human Rights in Haiti to enhance the United Nations collaboration with State authorities on human rights issues. III. Coordinated and coherent international support for the sustainable development of the country A. United Nations support for the country’s efforts towards stability and sustainable development 36. The United Nations system in Haiti continues to support the country’s efforts to address its multifaceted challenges. The new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the period 2023–2027, which is aligned with the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the decade 2022–2031, will facilitate an integrated approach in the United Nations system’s contributions to the country’s sustainable development efforts. Given the country’s complex interlocking crises, the Group continues to advocate a whole-of-system United Nations response that offers integrated solutions across the humanitarian- development-peace interface, to successfully address the systemic causes of vulnerability, including poverty, inequality, environmental shocks, corruption, impunity and weak institutions, and lay the foundation for long-term peace and sustainable development. The Group encourages the international community to support the United Nations in these efforts, for example, by providing the economic incentives, including through predictable flexible and multi-year funding, to help to scale up cross-pillar collaboration. 37. The Group welcomes the support provided by the Peacebuilding Fund to help the country to move towards stability and sustainable development. In 2022, the Fund provided $2.3 million for a project being implemented by the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Development Programme to contribute to a lasting solution to recurring crises and peace consolidation by laying the foundation for an inclusive economy as a result of participatory dialogue, with a view to strengthening national cohesion. B. Promoting aid effectiveness 38. Donors continue to support the Government’s development efforts; however, according to the latest data available, foreign aid to Haiti as a percentage of gross domestic product has dropped from approximately 25 per cent in 2010 to approximately 5 per cent in 2022. Funding for United Nations activities in 2021 amounted to $270 million ($128 million for development-related activities and $142 million for humanitarian activities), up from $204 million ($110 million for development-related activities and $94 million for humanitarian activities) in 2020. The $270 million represent 0.6 per cent of the $45.1 billion in global expenditure for operational activities for development in 2021. 39. During its visit to Washington D.C., the Group was informed that the activities of IMF in Haiti are being undertaken in line with its new strategy for fragile and conflict-affected States, which allows for engagement that is tailored to meet the needs of the countries in the most optimal manner. In this context, in December 2022, IMF approved $110.6 million under the “Food shock window” of the Rapid Credit Facility to help Haiti to fill the gap in the balance of payments and provide support to those affected by the current global food crisis. In April 2023, IMF will complete the second review of its staff monitored programme aimed at helping the Government of Haiti to restore macroeconomic stability and advance governance reforms to E/2023/63 11/17 23-07308 enhance accountability, in particular through stronger public finance management and revenue administration. The Group learned that there have been recent positive developments in Haiti, including the approval of a new tax code, the adoption of customs and tax administration reforms and the adoption of the budget for the 2022/23 fiscal year in the context of a medium-term fiscal framework. The Group welcomed the efforts of IMF to tailor its support to countries, with a strong emphasis on supporting vulnerable populations from the negative impact of macroeconomic reforms. 40. The World Bank allocated a record $606 million to Haiti under the nineteenth replenishment of the International Development Association for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 fiscal years, mainly driven by need to address the 2021 earthquake and food security crisis. Under the twentieth replenishment, some $204.1 million have been allocated to Haiti to focus on four priority areas: restoring macroeconomic stability and strengthening core governance systems; preserving basic services and human capital; fostering economic recovery and better job opportunities; and strengthening resilience against multiple risks. The Group learned that the World Bank is strongly committed to working with partners, including the United Nations. For example, the Government of Haiti has subcontracted some 15 per cent of the Bank’s portfolio to the United Nations in the areas of food security, social protection and education. 41. The Inter-American Development Bank also continued to support development activities in Haiti in the areas of education, health, water and sanitation, sustainable energy, modernization of the State, environmental and natural disasters and agricultural and rural development. For example, in 2022, the Bank disbursed $230 million for interventions focused on expanding social safety nets and access to education and health care. The Bank also continued to support the creation of job opportunities at the Caracol industrial park, which employs 60,000 people. Given that current legislation on the park will expire in 2025, the Group notes that the prompt adoption of new legislation will be crucial in retaining companies currently engaged in the project and avoiding disruptions to workers. 42. The Group’s interlocutors underscored that the security situation hindered the scaling up of their operations and stressed the importance of helping Haiti to restore security to enable international financial institutions, the United Nations and other development partners to successfully implement their programmes. Highlighting the linkages between peace and development, the Group welcomes the support provided by donors to promote development. The Group also calls for development partners to enhance coordination and collaboration to maximize the impact of their work. IV. Conclusions and recommendations 43. The reporting period was characterized by a high level of insecurity, which, amid the ongoing political crisis, resulted in increasing humanitarian needs, mostly driven by food insecurity, a worsening of the health situation owing to the spread of cholera, and deteriorating socioeconomic conditions. At the same time, weak institutions, the lack of accountability, widespread poverty, persistent inequalities, poor education and job prospects and the inefficient delivery of social services continue to contribute to a situation of political uncertainty and violence. The Group is of the view that only a comprehensive approach can help to successfully tackle the complex interlocking crises in the country. 44. The Group reiterates its call upon the country’s political actors, Haitian civil society groups, including women and youth groups, religious leaders and private sector actors to pursue an inclusive national political dialogue focused on E/2023/63 23-07308 12/17 putting the country back on the path to stability and sustainable development, including through the holding of credible, free, fair and transparent elections. 45. The Group underscores the urgent need to restore security to help to alleviate the suffering of Haitians, strengthen investor confidence in the country and help humanitarian organizations and development partners to successfully deliver much-needed assistance. The Group welcomes the adoption of Security Council resolution 2653 (2022) establishing a sanctions regime in Haiti to help to break the power of armed gangs. The Group also welcomes measures to strengthen the national police. 46. The Group stresses that security measures should be complemented by a comprehensive and sustainable long-term strategy to address the drivers of violence, such as political, economic and social inequalities, extreme poverty, high unemployment, human rights violations, impunity, corruption and weak public institutions. 47. It is concerning that, despite the scale of humanitarian needs in the country, exacerbated by food insecurity and cholera, the humanitarian response plan for Haiti remains significantly underfunded. The Group underscores the need to meet the humanitarian needs of the population while increasing its resilience to future shocks through climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures. 48. The Group appreciates the work of the United Nations system in supporting the country’s efforts towards stability and sustainable development and reiterates its call for support to be delivered through a whole-of-system approach to maximize impact, so that activities to promote political stability, security, the rule of law, good governance and human rights are complemented by interventions to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 49. The active engagement of the international community, including through South-South cooperation, remains crucial in helping Haiti to ensure sustainable development. The Government of Haiti and its development partners need to work closely together to ensure that support is delivered in a well-coordinated, coherent and sustainable manner to achieve the desired results. 50. The Group is of the view that there is scope for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach by all intergovernmental bodies, including the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, to providing integrated and targeted policy advice to Haiti and its partners. 51. The recommendations below are set out for consideration by the Economic and Social Council. 52. The Group encourages the Government of Haiti: (a) To intensify efforts to broaden support for the National Consensus for an Inclusive Transition and Transparent Elections signed on 21 December 2022 and advance a more inclusive national dialogue focused on putting the country back on the path to stability and sustainable development; (b) To take measures to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; (c) To strengthen efforts, including through partnerships with donors, aimed at implementing the national policy for food sovereignty, food security and nutrition and the national policy for social protection and social progress; E/2023/63 13/17 23-07308 (d) To explore opportunities for the engagement of Caribbean agricultural organizations, such as the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, to strengthen agricultural development in Haiti, with the aim of building resilient and productive food systems; (e) To enhance collaboration with countries in the region on the issue of migration; (f) To increase attention to justice sector reform, focusing on guaranteeing the rule of law and implementing anti-impunity and anti- corruption measures, including the anti-corruption strategy, and undertaking thorough independent investigations of the assassinations of President Moïse and Monferrier Dorval and of the massacres that have occurred; (g) To increase efforts to promote the full respect for human rights, including by addressing sexual and gender-based violence, and to support the establishment of a stand-alone office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Haiti to enhance the United Nations collaboration with State authorities on human rights issues; (h) To provide the resources and attention required to conduct preparedness, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation measures to reduce the disruptive impact of natural disasters on communities; (i) To continue to work closely with the Peacebuilding Fund to capitalize on its crucial role in helping to build and sustain peace. 53. The Group recommends that the international community and other development actors: (a) Remain collectively engaged, including within the framework of South-South cooperation, to support Haitian-led solutions to the country’s multifaceted challenges and to work closely with the Government of Haiti to provide well-coordinated and coherent support for promoting stability and sustainable development; (b) Support the cholera response in Haiti and, in this regard, provide adequate financial contributions to the Cholera flash appeal to help to limit mortality and reduce the spread of the disease, working closely with the Government of Haiti to ensure that efforts are well coordinated; (c) Increase financial contributions to the humanitarian response plan to help to provide life-saving assistance, including for emergency food needs, and to alleviate suffering, and consider providing areas in the south where needs are highest and where conditions are most dire, as well as areas that are hard to access, with supplies to support livelihoods, such as seeds and livestock feed; (d) Prioritize investment in the country’s agricultural sector, with the goal of building a more productive and resilient food system, thereby reducing the prospect of recurrent humanitarian crises in the country and promoting sustainable development; (e) Provide substantial financial support to the homegrown school feeding programme implemented by the World Food Programme, FAO and their partners, which is based on food sourced from local smallholders, with a view to strengthening access to expanded markets and establishing the conditions for sustainable food production; (f) Work with the Government of Haiti to modernize the country’s educational sector with regard to school infrastructure, attendance and E/2023/63 23-07308 14/17 curriculum development to help it to adapt to current global challenges and address its development needs; (g) Provide the United Nations country team with the financial resources necessary to be able to effectively support the progress of the Government of Haiti towards realizing the 2030 Agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; (h) Support a comprehensive regional approach to ensuring the protection of Haitian men, women, girls and boys moving throughout the region; (i) Enhance cohesiveness and coordination in the area of development, working closely with the Haitian authorities and through consultations with various Haitian stakeholders, to ensure more impactful long-term development interventions; (j) Provide adequate, predictable and flexible multi-year funding for disaster risk reduction, recovery and peacebuilding programming to foster a unified approach across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus; (k) Work with the Government of Haiti to build State capacity in a range of areas, including public sector management, judicial and rule of law reform and disaster risk management; (l) Support the Government of Haiti in efforts to combat the illicit smuggling of weapons and ammunition, which is fuelling armed violence, including gang violence. 54. The Group recommends that the United Nations system: (a) Continue to support the Government of Haiti in implementing activities within the framework of the development priorities defined by the Haitian authorities to advance the 2030 Agenda and build resilience; (b) Work in close partnership with international financial institutions and bilateral donors to promote the country’s long-term development; (c) Leverage new tools developed in the context of the repositioning of the United Nations development system, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, and continue to focus on a whole-of- system approach, including greater cross-pillar cooperation to help to address the root causes of the country’s vulnerability and promote long-term development and peace; (d) Ensure that the United Nations country team maintains close collaboration, cooperation and coordination with BINUH to maximize the impact of their actions and ensure a successful transition in the country. 55. The Group expresses its solidarity with the Haitian people, who are showing extraordinary resilience in the face of traumatic events and adversity. It reiterates its commitment to continued engagement in Haiti to help the country to address its complex challenges and ensure stability and long-term development. The Group expresses its deep gratitude to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator) for Haiti and the other members of BINUH and the United Nations country team for their continuous support for the work of the Group. E/2023/63 15/17 23-07308 Annex Activities of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti during the reporting period 1. During the reporting period, the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti continued to follow closely the situation in Haiti and carried out a series of activities, as described below. 2. On 31 May 2022, the Group held a hybrid meeting with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Helen La Lime, the Acting Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator) for Haiti, Fernando Hiraldo, and the Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Department of Peace Operations, Miroslav Jenča, to discuss the security situation in Haiti and its impact on the socioeconomic development of the country. 3. On 20 June 2022, the Chair of the Group and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, Robert Rae, participated as a panellist in the meeting of the Economic and Social Council on the transition from relief to development held under the theme “Recurrent crises and sustainable solutions: building resilience and addressing rising food insecurity and displacement”. During the round-table discussion, the Chair shared the Group’s assessment of the situation in Haiti and its recommendations. 4. On 8 July 2022, the Group adopted a statement in which it expressed its deep concern about the grave security situation in Haiti and its impact on the lives of Haitians and the socioeconomic development of the country and strongly urged the Security Council to renew for at least 12 months the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) expiring on 15 July 2022. The Group stressed that it was critical for the Security Council to provide BINUH with the mandate and support necessary to assist Haiti through its current crises and to help to address the root causes of the country’s instability. 5. Although the security situation was not conducive to a visit to Haiti by the Group, the Chair of the Group made two visits to Port-au-Prince during the reporting period (from 22 to 24 August 2022 and from 7 to 10 December 2022), during which he met with political representatives, members of civil society, representatives of the Haitian National Police, members of the United Nations and international observers. On 14 December 2022 and 9 February 2023, the Chair met with the Secretary-General and senior United Nations officials to provide an update on the Group’s activities. 6. On 21 September 2022, the Group convened a high-level meeting with Caribbean partners, including the Caribbean Community, during the high-level segment of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly. The meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, included various Heads of State and Government, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Economic and Social Council. The foreign affairs and finance ministers of Haiti also participated. The meeting served to help to mobilize international support for Haitian-led solutions to the multidimensional challenges faced by the country in its efforts to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 7. On 27 October 2022, the Group held a hybrid meeting to discuss the deepening humanitarian crisis in Haiti, given rising food insecurity and the cholera outbreak. The Group heard from the Minister of Public Health and Population of Haiti, Alex Larsen, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Resident E/2023/63 23-07308 16/17 Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator) for Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, a representative of the Pan American Health Organization, Maureen Birmingham, a representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Bruno Maes, the Head of Mission in Haiti of Médecins sans frontières, Benoit Vasseur, and the Founder and Executive Director of the Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections, Jean William Pape. 8. On 3 November 2022, concerned about the negative effects of the blockade by armed gangs of roads, ports and the country’s main oil terminal, Varreux, on the humanitarian and cholera response, the Group called for the immediate end of the blockade of the Varreux terminal, the re-establishment of access to basic services, including hospitals, water and sanitation, and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. The Group called upon the international community to demonstrate its solidarity with the Haitian people by strengthening its support for the humanitarian and cholera response and to support Haitian-led efforts to restore security to enable the flow of humanitarian assistance. 9. On 21 November 2022, the Group held a hybrid meeting with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Nick Hartmann, the Deputy Country Director of the World Food Programme, Marc-André Prost, and a food security, livelihoods and nutrition specialist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Lucie Jouanneau, to discuss the evolving situation in Haiti. In order to focus on helping Haiti to address its multifaceted challenges and their root causes, the Group created two informal working groups, on supporting Haiti to strengthen the capacity and accountability of its public institutions, including in the security and justice sectors (linked to Sustainable Development Goal 16), chaired by the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, and on supporting Haiti to meet the needs of crisis-affected populations and to build a more productive and resilient food system (linked to Goal 2), chaired by the Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations. 10. On 2 December 2022, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, on behalf of the Chair of the Group, attended the joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission on the theme “Peacebuilding, sustaining peace and sustainable development: towards coherence and impact on the ground”, during which discussions were focused on how United Nations entities, funds and programmes are responding, including jointly, to multidimensional challenges and are contributing to peacebuilding and sustaining peace through the promotion of long-term development in violence and conflict- affected contexts. 11. On 16 December 2022, the Group discussed the impact of the crisis on children and youth with two young leaders and with representatives of the United Nations system in Haiti, including Peacebuilding Fund Coordinator of the Resident Coordinator Office, Mamadou Bamba, the Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Mactar Fall, and the Head of Community Violence Reduction and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration at BINUH, Aimée Faye. 12. On 21 December 2022, the Chair of the Group participated in the Security Council briefing on Haiti, during which he stressed the need to support Haiti in addressing the acute security situation, meeting humanitarian needs and mounting an effective cholera response, while also supporting Haiti for the long-term, including through enhanced coordination of efforts by humanitarian, human rights, development and peacebuilding actors operating in and outside the country. E/2023/63 17/17 23-07308 13. On 19 and 26 January and 10 February 2023, the working group on supporting Haiti to meet the needs of crisis-affected populations and to build a more productive and resilient food system held hybrid meetings with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, the Country Director of the World Food Programme, Jean-Martin Bauer, a representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Paolo Silveri, the food security expert of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Lucie Jouanneau, the Coordinator and Focal Point for Haiti of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Adrien Randolph Gilbert, the Director of the subregional headquarters for the Caribbean of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Diane Quarless, the Deputy Director of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Ansari Hosein, and the Chief Executive Officer of Food for the Poor in Haiti, Mario Nicoleau. The discussions helped to inform the Group’s meetings with international financial institutions. On 2 March, the working group held an additional meeting to discuss the next steps in helping to raise international awareness of the situation in Haiti and developed a draft road map of proposed activities from April to September 2023, which were presented to the Group on 13 March. 14. On 2 February 2023, the Group held a meeting to discuss preparations for its visit to Washington, D.C., on 7 February 2023. During the visit, it met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On 14 February, the Group issued a press statement in which it encouraged the international financial institutions to remain engaged in Haiti and re-establish macroeconomic stability while also addressing the socioeconomic root causes of the multidimensional crisis faced by the country. 15. On 13 March 2023, the working group on supporting Haiti to strengthen the capacity and accountability of its public institutions, including in the security and justice sectors, held a hybrid meeting with the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Nick Hartmann, to discuss efforts to strengthen the security and justice sectors in Haiti. 16. On 15 March 2023, the Group held a meeting to take stock of the work of its two working groups and discuss how the Group can help to advocate for Haiti and its efforts to address challenges related to public institutions and food security.