VZCZCXYZ0012
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #3393 0961811
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 061751Z APR 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 033393 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO HA
SUBJECT: APRIL 6 UN SECURITY COUNCIL MINUSTAH OPEN 
DEBATE 
 
¶1. USUN may draw upon the following points during the 
April 6 UN Security Council open debate. 
 
Begin points. 
 
-The United States would like to thank the Special 
Representative of the Secretary-General, Hedi Annabi for 
his briefing today.  We welcome the March 6 report of 
the 
Secretary-General. Let me also thank everyone in Haiti, 
the country's leadership and the representatives of the 
private sector and civil society, for their warm 
reception 
during the Security Council visit last month. I am 
pleased 
that former President Clinton and the Secretary-General 
were also able to visit Haiti, bringing much helpful 
attention to the situation in the country. 
 
-The United States salutes the work of MINUSTAH, and we 
recognize the Mission's bravery and commitment to the 
stabilization of Haiti.  Thanks to the efforts of 
MINUSTAH 
and the Haitian people, our Security Council Mission 
found 
that Haiti is making significant progress in 
consolidating 
security, including strengthening the Haitian National 
Police (HNP).  In the area of security, the Mission has 
made remarkable gains and we hope that its 
accomplishments 
will be emulated. 
 
-The gains and the progress, however laudable, are also 
fragile. The United States recognizes the extreme 
hardships Haiti faces in the wake of the food crisis, 
the 
global financial crisis, and the hurricanes and storms 
that swept across the country last year.  These events 
could seriously undermine the tenuous security situation 
and worsen the poverty and privation of the Haitian 
people.  We support MINUSTAH's critical efforts to 
maintain stability in Haiti, thereby providing the 
foundation for growth and development.  We should not 
view 
security and development as separate, but as 
intertwined. 
 
-Considering the difficulties of the past year, the 
United 
States is particularly encouraged by the progress Haiti 
has made toward four of the five benchmarks outlined by 
the Secretary-General.  We recognize, however, that 
progress in some key areas has fallen short of 
expectations.  We remain committed to the Mission and to 
Haiti, and we urge the Haitian leadership, the UN, troop 
contributing countries, and other partners to remain 
engaged and to deepen our common effort to stabilize the 
country. 
 
-Despite recent setbacks, the United States is 
optimistic 
about the advances that have been made in 
professionalizing the HNP, which is moving toward the 
goal 
of having 14,000 officers in its ranks by 2011.  More 
than 
9000 Haitians have already been trained and vetted, and 
nearly 500 new officers will graduate by the second half 
of 2009.  The United States again commends MINUSTAH, as 
well as bilateral donors, for their technical support 
and 
contributions to building up the HNP's capabilities. To 
maintain Haiti's national security, it will need its 
police forces to stand on their own. The United States 
will work with MINUSTAH to support the expansion of the 
training facilities at the HNP academy and create 
specialized and leadership training for the country's 
forces. 
 
-The United States is seriously concerned about the 
desperate poverty, malnutrition, lack of education, and 
other socioeconomic problems that still bedevil Haiti. 
We 
stand by the Secretary-General's calls to link the 
progress in the security sector to coordination and 
relief 
efforts.  In this regard, the United States looks 
forward 
to participating in the April 14 Donors Conference on 
Haiti hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank in 
Washington. The Conference provides an opportunity for 
donors and the government of Haiti jointly to move 
forward 
on a path for Haiti's recovery and future economic 
development. 
 
-We congratulate Haitian leaders for their efforts in 
getting the country back on its feet, and we call on the 
Government to take advantage of the benefits and 
prosperity that HOPE II legislation can bring to Haiti. 
As the Secretary-General has highlighted, HOPE II 
provides 
a huge window of opportunity for access to U.S. markets. 
This program offers Haiti a crucial opportunity to move 
beyond assistance to genuine economic growth, and above 
all, job creation.  As the Security Council saw during 
our 
trip, persistent poverty and unemployment among Haiti's 
young people have created an environment prone to civil 
unrest, which threatens to undo many of the advances 
that 
have been made in Haiti. 
 
-The Security Council also heard serious concerns about 
the scourge of drug trafficking in Haiti. The United 
States is concerned about the impact of international 
narcotics trafficking on both the people of Haiti and 
the 
region. The United States is optimistic that the 
continued 
professionalization of the HNP, stabilization efforts, 
and 
initiatives to promote sustainable development can 
achieve 
progress against narcotics trafficking and related 
crime. 
The USG will increase its support for HNP 
counternarcotics 
efforts to permit the expansion of law enforcement 
operations throughout the country, and looks forward to 
continuing to work with the HNP and MINUSTAH to address 
these serious issues. 
 
-The United States is encouraged by the constructive 
political developments that have taken place in Haiti 
since 2006, and we are particularly pleased that 
opposition leaders are free to express their views. The 
April 19 senate elections are one more step in Haiti's 
democratic development.  We reiterate the need for these 
elections to be free and fair.  We thank MINUSTAH for 
its 
continued support of the electoral process, and urge the 
government of Haiti to continue and intensify efforts to 
promote an all-inclusive political dialogue and 
participation. 
 
-As the Secretary-General has underlined, Haiti stands 
at 
a cross-roads. While there are real opportunities, there 
are also real risks.  Continued and determined 
engagement 
by Haitian authorities, together with enhanced support 
from the international community, is critical to help 
Haiti move down toward self-sustaining security, and 
political and economic stability. 
 
End points. 
CLINTON