Security Council Speakers Call for Rigorous Sanctions Compliance to Address Multidimensional Crisis in Haiti

Security Council Speakers Call for Rigorous Sanctions Compliance to Address Multidimensional Crisis in Haiti

As the Security Council was updated today on the work of its subsidiary body devoted to the Haiti sanctions regime, speakers stressed that these measures must be strictly implemented if they are to be effective in addressing the country's many crises.

"I believe that we are at a critical junction in the development and implementation of the 2653 sanctions regime," said Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti, as she delivered the Committee's annual report.

Detailing the Committee's work since her last report on 11 December 2024, she recalled resolution 2752 (2024), which renewed the sanctions regimes on Haiti and directed the Committee to update the list of designated individuals and entities. In that context, she reported that the Committee added two entities on 8 July and that the Council added two individuals on 17 October through resolution 2794 (2025). There are currently nine individuals and two entities on the Committee's sanctions list.

2653 Sanctions Committee Chair Warns of Implementation Gaps, Calls for Better Cooperation

She also said the Council has continued to strengthen the UN sanctions regime for Haiti - particularly the arms embargo - through successive resolutions. For its part, the Committee will continue to work with the Panel of Experts, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and relevant Member States "towards the effective implementation of the sanctions measures - namely, the assets freeze, travel ban and territorial arms embargo".

Encouraging Member States to strengthen cooperation with the Committee and its Panel of Experts, she said this sanctions regime "can help Haiti address the longstanding drivers of instability and violence as part of its efforts to address the multifaceted crises in the country".

However, "the effectiveness of sanctions is directly linked to their implementation", urged Panama's representative. In Haiti's case, "it is only through rigorous implementation that it will be possible to, once and for all, stem the illicit flow of arms, which continues to feed violence and deepen the crisis in the country." He also pointed to the clearly documented "symbiotic relationship" between certain political and economic elites and the gangs now holding the country hostage, stating that the sanctions regime must have "real and sustainable impact".

In that vein, Sierra Leone's representative - also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Somalia - pointed out that illicit arms and ammunition continue to flow into Haiti, driving instability and violence. He, too, underlined the importance of strengthening compliance with sanctions measures - particularly the arms embargo - and urged all Member States to "ensure full adherence" to its provisions. He also urged all Member States to cooperate with the Panel of Experts, which keeps the Committee informed about the situation in Haiti.

This information, he said, includes detailed findings on gang activities, arms trafficking routes and trends, illicit financial flows and ongoing enforcement challenges. Calling for a united effort to continue raising awareness of the "existence and relevance" of the territorial arms embargo on Haiti, he further urged Member States to enforce sanctions measures, as appropriate. And, underlining the important role that the Committee must continue to play, he said the body can "help ensure that progress towards long-term peace and security in Haiti is sustained and meaningful".

Haiti's Delegate Calls for Coordinated Push to Disrupt Arms Flows, as Others Highlight Need for Better Border Control

The representative of China, meanwhile, called on parties to take concrete measures to promote better border control and prevent arms trafficking, stating that the Committee and its Panel of Experts can strengthen monitoring to this end. Further, he urged effective implementation of Council resolutions on Haiti-related sanctions, which remain a key mechanism to improve Haiti's security situation.

"Gang violence must be stopped," declared the representative of the United States. While welcoming decisive action to designate new individuals who are bolstering the criminal network and gangs, she called on Council members to support further designations of new individuals doing the same.

For his part, Haiti's representative underscored that the arms embargo is the most impactful measure with which to address the multidimensional crisis affecting his country. Recent reports, including by UNODC, show that illicit weapons trafficking to Haiti "remains a worrisome reality", he said, spotlighting the existence of well-organized transnational networks and supply routes to Haitian territory, as well as persistent challenges related to border surveillance.

"All of these observations force us to recall that the embargo's effectiveness should not solely be measured by its legal framework, but - above all - by its specific implementation," he stressed, urging that this be done strictly, consistently and transparently. And, pointing out that the weapons fuelling violence in his country are not manufactured there, he stated that "combating this phenomenon is, therefore, a collective responsibility". This, he added, should include robust intergovernmental cooperation involving real-time information sharing and coordinated interception networks.

"What remains alarming is the illicit trafficking of arms and ammunition, which continues unabated," concurred the representative of Barbados, speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Noting that the Panel of Experts' latest report highlights a "consistent failure to enforce the arms embargo", he urged all Member States to uphold their obligations under the sanctions regime. This, he said, includes diligent enforcement of the arms embargo, enhanced border-control mechanisms and freezing of assets linked to individuals and entities identified by the Committee.

"We expect all concerned parties to take the necessary steps to implement the arms embargo to prevent the illicit flow of firearms into Haiti," he said. For its part, CARICOM stands ready to intensify cooperation with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the policies reflected in the latest report translate into concrete action. He concluded: "The restoration of peace, security, human rights and the rule of law in Haiti remains an urgent international priority."