Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia*and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

First and foremost, let me begin by thanking Mr. Hédi Annabi, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his comprehensive briefing and leadership of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). I would also like to welcome the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and thank all those who briefed and participated in today’s debate.

The European Union welcomes the recent mission of the Security Council to Haiti and expresses its gratitude to the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica, who led the mission. The EU followed, with great interest, the main achievements and outcomes of the mission. We also took note of the recent Secretary-General’s recommendations presented in his latest semi-annual report on MINUSTAH.[1]

The European Union would like to thank MINUSTAH for its very active and effective work, shown predominantly through its efforts in reversing the deteriorating security situation and assisting the State-building and institutional capacity building. The EU also marks the progress in the professionalisation of the Haitian National Police (HNP), which operates in close cooperation with MINUSTAH. It underlines the continued need for an increased cooperation with the Haitian national police with a view to respond more effectively to threats from organized crime. The justice reform is also one of the prerequisites for consolidating the security situation.

We share the opinion that the formation of the Government with Michèle Pierre-Louis as its Prime Minister was an important achievement and we encourage the Government to take additional steps forward in the country’s further political, security and socio-economic stabilization. The EU also commends the leadership of President René Garcia Préval in stabilizing the economy and restoring political institutions.

Partial senatorial elections to be held in April and June 2009, which have been postponed since the end of 2007, remain a significant challenge for Haiti on the political front. These elections will complete the composition of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly of Haiti. A successful conducting of these elections will without doubt contribute to further stabilisation of Haiti’s political and security situation. Therefore, support provided by the international community is crucial in this area. The European Commission will contribute to these efforts with the amount of 3.3 million Euro.

Mr. President,

While tangible progress has been reached in the area of political dialogue and elections, extension of State authority, security, rule of law and human rights, there is still much that needs to be done in these areas. The EU commends the efforts of MINUSTAH in assisting the Haitian authorities, in particular the HNP, in the area of DDR and SSR. The EU believes that State-building activities and security sector reform (SSR) need to be further pursued as SSR is one of the key challenges that the Haitian Government faces. The EU is committed to remaining part of the international community’s efforts in supporting Haiti in this critical area, which encompasses also combating armed violence and organised crime, rule of law and human rights.

The EU remains particularly concerned about the levels of poverty and the socio-economic and humanitarian situation in Haiti. In this regard, the global financial crisis, the food crisis, as well as the devastating consequences of hurricanes Fay and Gustav and the tropical storms, have put additional pressure on Haiti’s already dire socio-economic conditions. This deterioration of the socio-economic situation must be reversed to avoid a potential negative impact on the overall security situation, which still remains very fragile. In this context, the continuing engagement and vigilance of MINUSTAH is important.

Mr. President,

The focus of the EU cooperation is shifting from support for the transition period through democratic reform and rehabilitation to economic recovery and basic services. The EU indeed believes that strong socio-economic development is required to sustain and consolidate the newfound stability. Furthermore, the capacity of the State to deliver basic services needs to be enhanced. The EU cooperation strategy with Haiti for 2008 to 2013 is based on these elements. The strategy, funded with 291 million Euro, will primarily focus on infrastructure, mainly the building of roads, as well as on governance. In this context, I would also like to mention that the EU, which is one of the major donors to Haiti, opened a local representation of its Humanitarian Aid Office in Port-au-Prince in February 2009.[2]

In conclusion, the EU would like to express its full support for the high-level international conference on Haiti that is scheduled for the 13^th and 14^th of April in Washington, D.C. to support reconstruction efforts and the implementation of the government growth and poverty reduction strategy. The conference will also contribute to the establishment of a new paradigm for cooperation between Haiti and its financial donors. The EU stands ready to play an active part there.

Thank you, Mr. President.