‘No Time to Waste’, Security Council Speakers Stress, as Gangs, Arm Flows Threaten Electoral Progress in Haiti

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

10093rd Meeting (PM)

SC/16279

21 January 2026

While the new year carries “high expectations” for progress in Haiti, the Security Council heard today that achieving this requires sustained security efforts, focused international engagement and assumed political responsibilities.

“The country has no time to waste on prolonged internecine fighting,” said Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). All national stakeholders, he urged, must find common ground ahead of 7 February — the date on which the current transitional arrangement will end.

Steps taken in recent months to advance electoral preparations are “particularly encouraging”, he continued, spotlighting the 1 December adoption of an electoral decree and the 23 December publication of an electoral calendar.

Additionally, he said new legal provisions on voter registration, diaspora participation, women’s political inclusion and decentralized vote tabulation — if effectively applied — can contribute to credible, inclusive elections. Noting that Haiti’s Prime Minister “declared 2026 an electoral year”, he said that achieving this goal will require sustained institutional coordination, predictable financing and security conditions that allow participation without fear.

However, he reported that gangs continue to mount coordinated attacks, exert control over key economic corridors and agricultural regions, force displacement, stretch humanitarian-response capacity and push police resources to their limits. Intentional homicides in 2025 increased by nearly 20 per cent compared with 2024.

Sustained Pressure on Gangs ‘Yielding Results’

Yet, at the same time, “sustained pressure on gangs has yielded results”, he said, pointing to the reopening of some road networks and restored State presence in some parts of Port-au-Prince and Artibonite. The challenge now lies in expanding and sustaining security gains, as well as in creating conditions for the delivery of basic services. “Without this, security improvements clearly risk reversal,” he stressed.

In that context, he welcomed progress towards establishing the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH) and underlined the “urgent need” for Member States to provide the Gang Suppression Force with the resources necessary to execute its mandate. Additionally, a nationally led approach for disarmament, dismantling and reintegration must complement enforcement measures. He also urged support for the humanitarian response — which was “one of the least-funded global humanitarian appeals” in 2024. “Managing the political calendar, supporting still-fragile stabilization efforts and addressing persistent humanitarian needs will directly determine [Haiti’s] ability to progress towards credible elections,” he concluded.

A Call to Enforce Arms Embargo as Criminal Networks Evolve, Expand

John Brandolino, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), then presented the entity’s report on sources and routes of illicit arms and financial flows in Haiti, warning that fragmented local gangs and vigilante forces have evolved into structured criminal networks with defined leadership, territorial ambitions and diversified revenue streams.

Organized violence in Haiti is closely linked to arms trafficking and, since 2022, UNODC has documented increased inflows of high-calibre and military-grade weapons through maritime, air and land routes. Trafficking networks operate with notable flexibility, he added, reporting: “When one corridor is disrupted, another quickly emerges.”

Citing the Dominican Republic’s response as instructive, he noted that strengthened border controls and joint operations led to significant seizures in 2025, which disrupted supply chains. Traffickers have since adapted, however, shifting towards weaker Haitian ports, offshore transfers and indirect routes to evade embargo controls.

He also warned that private security companies and informal self-defence groups are driving the illicit firearms trade, while money-laundering networks rely on cash smuggling, unregulated remittance channels, trade-based schemes and front companies. In 2025, Haiti’s Financial Intelligence Unit processed nearly 1.5 million transaction reports; yet, major enforcement gaps persist.

“What these findings ultimately reveal is that the situation in Haiti has grown beyond a national crisis into a broader, interlinked supply-chain challenge and regional security threat,” he said. He called for stronger enforcement of the UN arms embargo, sustained anti-corruption efforts and adequate support for the Gang Suppression Force and UNSOH to help restore stability and the rule of law.

In the debate that followed, Colombia’s representative said that the deployment of the Gang Suppression Force will help improve security conditions. However, she stressed that “security gains will only be sustainable if they go hand-in-hand with the effective strengthening of civic institutions and the rule of law”. To that end, the representative of Denmark underscored the need for judicial and prison reform — a point made by several other members today. “It must also address the high number of pre-trial detainees currently serving indefinite sentences in dangerously overcrowded prisons,” she added.

Relatedly, Greece’s representative called for the establishment of a national institution for disarmament, dismantlement and reintegration to “provide safe exit strategies — especially for children”. Other Council members also acknowledged the plight faced by Haitian children, with the representative of the United Kingdom pointing to extreme food insecurity, inability to access education and exposure to forced recruitment and sexual exploitation. “Enough is enough,” stressed Latvia’s representative, urging a “radical shift” that includes the creation of the necessary security conditions for credible elections.

“In only 18 days, the mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council will conclude,” observed Panama’s representative, highlighting another area of concern. Against that backdrop, he appealed to Haiti’s political class — “and Haitian society as a whole” — to maintain constructive dialogue and reach a consensus-based solution. He stressed: “The Haitian people need national interest to be placed over and above political differences.”

“The fundamental solution to the Haitian crisis”, stressed China’s representative, “lies in establishing a legitimate, effective and accountable Government as soon as possible.” He added that political transition “must not become an excuse for procrastination or evading responsibility”. He also urged all parties — “especially the main source country of weapons and ammunition to Haiti” — to step up border control and weapons regulation to cut the flow of illegal munitions at their source.

Expressing her country’s determination to tackle those undermining Haiti’s security, the representative of the United States said that Washington, D.C., will use all tools at its disposal — from financial sanctions to immigration restrictions — to counter this impunity. She also urged Member States to contribute to the trust fund for the Gang Suppression Force, stressing that the Force will be well-positioned to recover lost territory and restore safety and security. Stressing the need to “free Haiti from the tyranny of gangs”, France’s representative welcomed announcements from States ready to provide troops to the Force. For its part, France is contributing to this effort through the relevant trust fund and the peacekeeping budget.

Meanwhile, the representative of the Russian Federation, pointing to “drone strikes with the participation of American private companies”, said that “not a single gang leader has been liquidated” while dozens of civilians have been killed. “We believe that far more effective would have been real steps by the US side to stem trafficking in weapons and ammunition, which continue to reach Haiti from Florida without any impediment,” he stated. Further, he called for a “full accounting” of the Gang Suppression Force before the Council.

The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also speaking for Liberia and Somalia, stressed that the credibility and efficacy of the new security architecture for Haiti will depend on “clear rules of engagement, adequate oversight mechanisms and strong coordination with the Haitian authorities”. Pakistan’s representative, similarly, said that international support “cannot be a substitute for intra-Haitian solutions” and must be well-coordinated and aimed at building the capacity of the Haitian State in line with its needs. The representative of Bahrain urged the international community to support Haitian dialogue “in a manner that respects Haiti’s sovereignty and independence”.

Haiti’s representative, for his part, noted that the upcoming 7 February deadline “places the Haitian transition in a delicate and decisive phase”. He reported that the Transitional Presidential Council is working to achieve, through national consensus, “another political agreement to usher in an orderly transition and to avoid any institutional vacuum”. He also noted that, while the Gang Suppression Force addresses “strictly security-related challenges”, the Haitian crisis is multifaceted. Therefore, he called on BINUH to continue its electoral assistance; enhance support for a national policy for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; and help combat prolonged detention. “Absent credible and operational justice, there can be no lasting peace envisaged in Haiti,” he concluded.

Also taking the floor was the representative of Barbados, speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), who stressed that transparent, inclusive and credible elections are key to returning long-term stability to Haiti. In that vein, Mexico’s representative spotlighted her country’s continued bilateral cooperation with Haiti to build electoral capacity and strengthen its Armed Forces. “The situation in Haiti must be addressed through a balanced combination of humanitarian, peacebuilding and development initiatives,” she urged.

The representative of the Dominican Republic also detailed his country’s assistance to Haiti, noting the provision of $10 million for medical care and logistical support, as well as efforts to combat arms trafficking. However, he joined others in stressing that security efforts alone will not address broader governance issues. “Young Haitian people need real opportunities for education and decent work,” he stressed, warning that any security gains will be short-lived without them.