The Organization of American States (OAS) has formally requested the UN Security Council to extend the mandate and ensure the "full deployment" of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti, appealing to the international community to "provide the personnel, funding, equipment, and logistical support necessary for its full and sustained deployment."
In a joint statement, the member states of the OAS have reiterated their "solidarity with the Haitian people, their respect for the sovereignty and independence and territorial integrity of Haiti" and have also emphasized "their commitment to Haiti-led solutions."
In that line, they have demanded the full implementation of the resolution approved by the OAS General Assembly last June, whose "central purpose" is "to organize support for Haiti, while keeping that assistance under Haitian leadership and in coordination with the United Nations, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and other partners."
The OAS Secretary General, Albert R. Ramdin, has publicly supported the statement and has stressed that it is essential to "honor the aspirations of the Haitian people by continuing support for the GSF and the renewal of its mandate."
"This force is on the ground playing an essential role in helping Haitian authorities regain territorial control, restore access to critical infrastructure, improve public safety, and create the necessary security environment for institutions to function and elections to be held," he said.
"However, support for renewal is not enough. A mandate alone does not produce results. We must also ensure that the results that Haitians need in terms of security have the adequate resources. Results require personnel, funding, equipment, logistics, and, of course, sustained political support," he pointed out.
The permanent representative of Haiti to the OAS, Jean Josué Pierre, has emphasized the same idea by stating that "the message is clear: renew the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force, ensure its full deployment, strengthen Haiti's security institutions, protect the population, and create the conditions for Haiti to move towards credible elections and lasting stability."
The statement emphasizes that the international force must have the means "to support the National Police of Haiti and the Armed Forces of the country in accordance with their respective mandates." According to the text, "among the priorities are to restore legitimate state authority in areas affected by gang control, ensure access to the airport and the port, reopen major transportation routes, protect the population, and maintain a permanent presence of the National Police of Haiti in sites of strategic infrastructure and in areas recovered from the gangs."
The OAS also raises the need to implement initiatives aimed at "disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration" of members of armed gangs, along with actions to "restore humanitarian access and public services and expand socioeconomic opportunities, particularly for Haitian youth."
The inter-American organization also stresses that "the operations of the GSF and the Haitian security institutions it supports must comply with International Law and applicable international human rights standards."