S/RES/1840 (2008)
Security Council Distr.: General
14 October 2008
08-54896 (E)
*0854896*
Resolution 1840 (2008)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 5993rd meeting, on
14 October 2008
The Security Council,
Reaffirming its previous resolutions on Haiti, in particular its resolutions 1780
(2007), 1743 (2007), 1702 (2006), 1658 (2006), 1608 (2005), 1576 (2004) and 1542
(2004),
Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial
integrity and unity of Haiti,
Reaffirming its support to the Government of Haiti and welcoming the recent
formation of the Government of the Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis and the
approval of her Government’s General Policy Declaration by the Parliament as steps
towards providing governance, stability and democracy in Haiti, and as a new
opportunity to place the long-term reform process back on track,
Encouraging the Government of Haiti and all the other relevant Haitian
political, social and economic actors to strengthen democratic dialogue and forge
the widest and most inclusive possible consensus, recognizing that leadership and
constant political will of the Government of Haiti among the relevant Haitian actors
is needed to strengthen governance and national capacities to address the highest
priority issues in its national agenda,
Recognizing the devastation that has been suffered by the people of Haiti
during the current hurricane season and the immediate, medium- and long-term
damage done to the agricultural and infrastructure sectors as well as its impact on
Haiti’s stability and security situation,
Acknowledging the challenges facing the government to coordinate the
delivery of humanitarian relief and to start the recovery efforts, as well as the need
to establish a disaster and risk reduction strategy,
Recognizing that the rapid rise in global food and fuel prices continues to pose
a significant threat to the overall process of stabilization in Haiti and has adversely
effected the political, security, humanitarian, social, economic and development
fields; and encouraging the international community to continue to support Haiti in
this regard,
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Recognizing the inter-connected nature of the challenges in Haiti, reaffirming
that sustainable progress on security, the rule of law and institutional reform,
national reconciliation and development are mutually reinforcing, and welcoming
the continuing efforts of the Government of Haiti and the international community
to address these challenges,
Recognizing that respect for human rights, due process, addressing the issue of
criminality and putting an end to impunity are essential to ensuring the rule of law
and security in Haiti,
Commending the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
for continuing to assist the Government of Haiti to ensure a secure and stable
environment and deploring again the violence which took place on April 2008, the
Security Council reiterates its deep regret about the loss of life and the attacks
against MINUSTAH facilities and United Nations personnel and commends the
measures taken by MINUSTAH, expressing gratitude to the troops and police
personnel of MINUSTAH and to their countries and paying tribute to those injured
or killed in the line of duty,
Acknowledging some improvements in recent months in the security situation
but noting that the security situation remains fragile,
Emphasizing the importance of cooperation between Haiti and neighbouring
and regional states in effectively managing and securing both Haiti’s land and
maritime territorial borders, and in line with the shared interest to secure these
borders,
Underscoring that international illicit trafficking of persons, drugs and arms
continues to affect the stability of Haiti,
Emphasizing the role of regional organizations in the ongoing process of
stabilization and reconstruction of Haiti and calling on MINUSTAH to continue to
work closely with the Organization of the American States (OAS) and the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM), taking note of the Joint Communiqué of the Consultative
Group 2x9 on Haiti of 29 August 2008 (S/2008/640),
Stressing the importance of establishing credible, competent and transparent
governance, and encouraging the Government of Haiti to further strengthen state
institutions,
Welcoming the initial recommendations of the Consultative Commission on
Prolonged Pretrial Detention, and expressing its strong support for further efforts on
this issue as well as in addressing in an effective and timely manner the issue of
prison overcrowding,
Calling on the Government of Haiti, in coordination with the international
community, to continue to advance security sector reform, in particular as called for
in the Haitian National Police (HNP) Reform Plan adopted by the Government of
Haiti on 8 August 2006 as well as reinforcing the efforts to reform the critical
judiciary and correctional systems,
Welcoming the initial steps taken towards strengthening the judicial system in
accordance with the national justice reform plan, including judicial institution
modernization and improvement in the access to justice, which are crucial aspects of
Haiti’s reconstruction and stabilization,
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Welcoming the adoption of the new electoral law and looking for its early
implementation in view of the forthcoming elections and also welcoming the support
of the OAS to update the Haitian voter registry and calling on the Haitian
authorities, with the continued support of donors and partners of Haiti and regional
organizations as well as MINUSTAH and the United Nations system, to establish
permanent and effective electoral institutions, and to hold elections consistent with
Haiti’s constitutional and legal requirements,
Underlining the need for the quick implementation of highly effective and
visible labour intensive projects that help create jobs and deliver basic social
services,
Acknowledging the efforts undertaken by Haitian authorities and the
contributions of the international community and the United Nations system,
supported by MINUSTAH, to respond to the humanitarian and other needs of
disaster-affected people, and stressing the importance for future actions in this
regard to be fully coordinated among donors and partners of Haiti, with the
Government of Haiti as well as within the United Nations system,
Recognizing the importance of long-term commitment of international donors
and partners of Haiti, encouraging them to continue strengthening their levels of
assistance,
Stressing the need to reinforce the capacities of the Government of Haiti and
its institutions, in particular in the coordination of international cooperation,
Welcoming the Secretary-General’s report S/2008/586 of 27 August 2008,
Determining that the situation in Haiti continues to constitute a threat to
international peace and security in the region, despite the progress achieved thus far,
Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, as described in
section 1 of operative paragraph 7 of resolution 1542 (2004),
1. Decides to extend the mandate of MINUSTAH as contained in its
resolutions 1542 (2004), 1608 (2005), 1702 (2006), 1743 (2007), and 1780 (2007)
until 15 October 2009, with the intention of further renewal;
2. Expresses its satisfaction with the reconfiguration of the Mission carried
out in accordance with resolution 1780 (2007), and endorses the recommendation
made by the Secretary-General in paragraph 20 of his report S/2008/586 to maintain
the current Mission configuration until the planned substantial increase of the
Haitian National Police capacity allows for a reassessment of the situation, taking
into account the need to adjust MINUSTAH’s composition and realign its activities
to reflect the changing circumstances and priorities on the ground, including the
need to further strengthen the training of the Haitian National Police;
3. Decides, therefore, that MINUSTAH will continue to consist of a
military component of up to 7,060 troops of all ranks and of a police component of a
total of 2,091 police;
4. Recognizes the ownership and primary responsibility of the Government
and the people of Haiti over all aspects of the country’s stabilization, recognizes the
role of MINUSTAH in supporting the Government’s efforts in this regard, and
encourages the Government of Haiti to continue to take full advantage of
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international support to enhance its capacity, which is indispensable for the
sustainable success of MINUSTAH;
5. Expresses its full support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-
General, notably in his efforts related to improving stability and governance in close
cooperation with the Government of Haiti, and reaffirms his authority in the
coordination and conduct of all activities of United Nations agencies, funds, and
programmes in Haiti;
6. Reaffirms its call upon MINUSTAH to support the political process under
way in Haiti, including through the good offices of the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General, and, in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, to promote an
all-inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation, and to provide logistical
and security assistance for the upcoming electoral process, in particular the elections
which were scheduled to take place in November 2007, to fill the Senate seats that
were left vacant with the end of the mandate of one third of the Senators on 8 May
2008;
7. Recognizes the importance of resolving political differences through
dialogue and encourages the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to
facilitate this dialogue between the Government of Haiti and all relevant political
actors in order to ensure that the democratically elected political institutions can
continue carrying forward the reform work laid out in the National Strategy for
Growth and Poverty Reduction Paper (DSNCRP);
8. Welcomes the continuing contribution of MINUSTAH to the Government
of Haiti’s efforts to build institutional capacity at all levels and calls upon
MINUSTAH, consistent with its mandate, to expand such support to strengthen selfsustaining
state institutions, especially outside Port-au-Prince, including through the
provision of specialized expertise to key ministries and institutions;
9. Requests that MINUSTAH continue its support of the HNP as deemed
necessary to ensure security in Haiti, and encourages MINUSTAH and the
Government of Haiti to continue to undertake coordinated deterrent actions to
decrease the level of crime and violence;
10. Recognizes the need for improving and enhancing the efforts in the
implementation of the HNP Reform Plan and requests MINUSTAH, consistent with
its mandate, to remain engaged in assisting the Government of Haiti to reform and
restructure the HNP notably by supporting the monitoring, mentoring, training and
vetting of police personnel and strengthening of institutional and operational
capacities, while working to recruit sufficient individual police officers to serve as
instructors and mentors of the HNP, consistent with its overall strategy to
progressively transfer geographic and functional responsibility for conventional law
and order duties to its Haitian counterparts in accordance with the HNP Reform
Plan;
11. Invites Member States, including neighbouring and regional States, in
coordination with MINUSTAH, to engage with the Government of Haiti to address
cross-border illicit trafficking of persons, drugs, arms and other illegal activities,
and to contribute to strengthening HNP capacity in these areas;
12. Requests MINUSTAH to provide technical expertise in support of the
efforts of the Government to pursue an integrated border management approach,
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with emphasis on state capacity-building, and underlines the need for coordinated
international support for Government efforts in this area;
13. Welcomes the imminent deployment of MINUSTAH’s sixteen maritime
patrol boats in support of the Haitian National Police’s Coast Guard responsibilities
in protecting and patrolling the maritime borders of Haiti;
14. Recognizes the need for MINUSTAH to continue its efforts to patrol
along maritime and land border areas in support of border security activities by the
HNP, and encourages MINUSTAH to continue discussions with the Government of
Haiti and Member States to assess the threats along Haiti’s land and maritime
borders;
15. Requests the United Nations country team, and calls upon all actors, to
complement security and development operations undertaken by the Government of
Haiti with the support of MINUSTAH with activities aimed at effectively improving
the living conditions of the concerned populations and requests MINUSTAH to
continue to implement quick-impact projects;
16. Condemns any attack against personnel or facilities from MINUSTAH
and demands that no acts of intimidation or violence be directed against the United
Nations and associated personnel or facilities or other actors engaged in
humanitarian, development or peacekeeping work;
17. Welcomes the steps taken towards the reform of rule of law institutions,
requests MINUSTAH to continue to provide necessary support in this regard, and
encourages the Haitian authorities to take full advantage of that support, notably in
modernizing key legislation and in the implementation of the justice reform plan,
the establishment of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, the reorganization and
standardization of court registration processes and the management of cases, and the
need to address the issue of prolonged pretrial detentions;
18. Encourages also the implementation of the strategic plan of the National
Prison Administration, and supports the strengthening of the Mission’s capacity, as
referred to in paragraph 42 of the Secretary-General’s report (S/2008/586), in
particular to address prison overcrowding, and requests MINUSTAH to remain
engaged in supporting the mentoring and training of corrections personnel and
strengthening of institutional and operational capacities;
19. Requests MINUSTAH to continue to pursue its community violence
reduction approach, including through support to the National Commission on
Disarmament, Dismantlement and Reintegration and concentrating its efforts on
labour-intensive projects, the development of a weapons registry, the revision of
current laws on importation and possession of arms, reform of the weapons permit
system and the promotion of a national community policing doctrine;
20. Reaffirms MINUSTAH’s human rights mandate and calls on the Haitian
authorities to continue their efforts to promote and protect human rights, and calls
on MINUSTAH to continue to provide human rights training to the HNP and other
relevant institutions, including the correctional services;
21. Strongly condemns the grave violations against children affected by
armed violence, as well as widespread rape and other sexual abuse of girls, and
requests MINUSTAH to continue to promote and protect the rights of women and
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children as set out in Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1612 (2005), and
1820 (2008);
22. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary
measures to ensure full compliance of all MINUSTAH personnel with the United
Nations zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and to keep the
Council informed, and urges troop-contributing countries to ensure that acts
involving their personnel are properly investigated and punished;
23. Calls upon MINUSTAH and the United Nations country team to further
enhance their coordination and, in concert with the Government of Haiti and
international partners, help ensure greater efficiency in the implementation of the
National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction Paper (DSNCRP) in order to
achieve progress in the area of socio-economic development, which was recognized
essential for the stability in Haiti in the Consolidation Plan of the Secretary-General,
and address urgent development problems, in particular those caused by recent
hurricanes;
24. Recognizes the need for a high-level donor conference to lend its support
to the DSNCRP, and in this regard calls upon the international community, in
particular donor countries and partners of Haiti and multilateral institutions, in
cooperation with the Haitian authorities, to devise and implement under the
leadership of the Haitian authorities, an efficient aid coordination system, based on
mutual responsibility, which would focus on short-term immediate needs, as well as
medium- and long-term reconstruction requirements, and also encourages donors
and partners of Haiti to accelerate the disbursement of their pledges as a
contribution to development and stability in Haiti;
25. Welcomes progress made by MINUSTAH in communications and public
outreach strategy, and requests it to continue these activities;
26. Welcomes the work done by the Secretary-General to develop five
benchmarks and indicators to measure progress being made towards the
consolidation of stability in Haiti and requests the Secretary-General to continue
updating the Consolidation Plan on the basis of the outline provided, in consultation
with the Government of Haiti, taking into account the DSNCRP, as appropriate, and
to inform the Council accordingly in his reports;
27. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on the
implementation of MINUSTAH’s mandate semi-annually and not later than 45 days
prior to its expiration;
28. Requests also the Secretary-General to include in his reports a
comprehensive assessment of threats to security in Haiti, taking into account a
review of the activities and composition of MINUSTAH, its coordination with the
United Nations country team and other development actors and the need for poverty
eradication and sustainable development in Haiti, and to propose, as appropriate,
options to reshape the composition of MINUSTAH;
29. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
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