CARICOM leaders will meet next Wednesday to discuss the current social and political situation in Haiti, according to CARICOM chairman Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
“We will meet virtually as CARICOM heads, the main item on the agenda will be Haiti and the situation in Haiti,” the Dominican Prime Minister said at a news conference on Wednesday, adding that climate change will also be discussed.
The UN Security Council, he said, had mandated the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, “to make certain proposals to the Security Council on what actions needed to be taken, what support Haiti needs to restore security in Haiti and to ensure that the Haitian people can go about their daily lives like everyone else in the region.”
Skerrit reminded reporters that CARICOM had appointed an Eminent Persons Group (EPG) a few months ago, led by former St Lucian Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony and including former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding and his former Bahamas colleague Perry Christie.
“They have engaged a broad cross-section of the population, representative groups, they have also had discussions with the UN as well as other stakeholders in the United States and Canada, and we are looking to coordinate our efforts further.”
“We believe and accept that, under that mandate, CARICOM will have to play a critical role in coordinating global efforts to provide Haiti with the assistance that it requires.”
Skerrit informed reporters that the regional leaders “will be meeting to take stock of what has happened thus far, to receive a report from the group led by Dr Anthony, and to further determine what other actions CARICOM would need to take to support Haiti.”
“As you are aware, Kenya has communicated its commitment to provide troops and police officers, and other African countries have done the same.” “Some CARICOM countries have indicated that they will provide police personnel,” he continued.
Earlier this month, the UN Secretary General proposed two potential UN alternatives in a report sent to the 15-member Security Council: giving logistical support to a multinational force and Haiti’s police, and strengthening a UN political mission already in Haiti.
“The current context in Haiti is not conducive to peacekeeping,” Guterres wrote, adding that “nothing short of a robust use of force, supplemented by a suite of non-kinetic measures, by a capable specialized multinational police force enabled by military assets, coordinated with the national police, would be able to achieve these objectives.”
Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Alfred Mutua, has stated that his country will send 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police in restoring normalcy and protecting critical facilities.
Two CARICOM countries, the Bahamas and Jamaica, have already stated their willingness to supply personnel, and the US has expressed its willingness to propose a Security Council resolution to support a deployment.
Dominica, according to Prime Minister Skerrit, is eager to help with interpreters “as we did before when the earthquake hit Haiti and police officers were sent and others were sent for translation purposes.”
“I have indicated very sincerely that the Haitian situation is my number one priority,” Skerrit said as chairman of the 15-member regional integration grouping.
“We owe it to the Haitian people, and it is critical that the entire Caribbean Community, not just the heads of governments, is engaged and aware of the issues confronting Haiti, and that we collectively provide that moral or collective commitment and support to Haiti.”
“We must be wary of any appearance or attitude of Haiti fatigue from many sectors…and we are in contact with members of the Security Council because, at the end of the day, it is the Security Council that will decide how much assistance will be supplied.
“Countries that will want to provide support, but would like a UN Security decision…to provide them with the necessary legal cover of being present in Haiti,” Skerrit added, promising the Caribbean population that the conclusions of the deliberations will be provided on Wednesday.
Last year, Haiti’s Prime Minister, Dr. Ariel Henry, issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations, requesting “the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity” to put an end to gang warfare in his country.
Skerrit stated that climate change is a “fixed” subject on CARICOM’s agenda, and that “we look forward to the engagement of heads on this issue.”
