UN Security Council should consider imposing sanctions on Haitian gangs: Chinese envoy

The UN Security Council should consider imposing sanctions on those responsible for gang violence in Haiti, said a Chinese envoy on Monday.

Security Council Resolution 2645 expresses the council's readiness to take appropriate measures that could include an asset freeze and travel ban against those engaged in or supporting gang violence. With the situation in Haiti as it is, it is necessary for the council to translate this readiness into action, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

China hopes that the United States and Mexico, as penholders on Haiti, will submit a draft resolution as soon as possible and convene consultations so that the Security Council can make a decision on this issue, he told a Security Council meeting on Haiti.

The UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) should submit a list of criminal gangs and their leaders to the Security Council for sanctions designation, he added.

Resolution 2645 calls on UN member states to prohibit the transfer of arms to non-state actors engaged in or supporting gang violence in Haiti, he said, adding that this will help cut off the supply of weapons and ammunition to gangs without prejudice to the security cooperation between member states and the Haitian police force. China hopes that the penholders will include this element in the draft resolution, he said.

Security Council Resolution 2645 supports Haitian authorities in combating illicit financial flows as well as trafficking and diversion of arms and in enhancing management and control of borders and ports. With the situation in Haiti as it is, the council should support Haiti in giving priority to port management and customs reform. China hopes that the new draft resolution will also address this point, Geng said.

The UN work in Haiti in the past three decades has proved that international assistance can only play a catalytic and facilitating role, and that the issue of Haiti can only be resolved by the Haitian people themselves, he noted.

The political stalemate in Haiti has been ongoing for years, and there is a strong desire for the restoration of constitutional order. China hopes that all parties in Haiti will have a stronger sense of urgency, actively carry out political consultations, and establish as soon as possible national institutions that enjoy the real support of the Haitian people and represent their interests. The United Nations and other regional organizations must continue to play an active role in this regard, he said.

Geng stressed that neither the United Nations nor any organization, any country can go beyond their duties, let alone take sides.

The United Nations is in Haiti to offer help. However, for some time, negative public opinion in Haiti about the United Nations has been on the rise. China hopes that BINUH will do more to engage with Haitians, strive to eliminate misunderstanding, and win their trust and support. BINUH and other UN offices in Haiti should strengthen resource-sharing and operational synergy, he said.