Amnesty International on Wednesday raised concerns about the alleged lack of transparency regarding the establishment of human rights safeguards for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti, that is expected to be deployed in the coming months.
Amnesty International Americas Director Ana Piquer said it is key to ensure that any action taken by the multinational mission led by Kenya and supported by the USA and other countries strictly complies with international human rights law as mandated by the United Nations Security Council.
“A misstep in this regard would be devastating for Haitian people´s rights,” Piquer said on Wednesday
Piquer said past multinational or foreign security missions in Haiti have been tarnished by widespread human rights violations and rampant impunity.
She said that is why all the necessary measures must be taken both before and for the entire duration of any deployment in Haiti to prevent history from repeating itself.
Amnesty noted that despite clear requirements in UN Security Council Resolution 2699 authorising the mission for participating UN member states to ensure the highest standards of transparency, there is still a lack of details about some aspects of the mission.
The rights lobby said there is still a lack of detailed public information about the rules, procedures, and structure, as well as an accountability mechanism to investigate human rights violations, in particular sexual exploitation, and abuse.
“Apart from vetting procedures, the mission personnel should receive comprehensive pre-deployment and in-theatre training of basic United Nations principles, human rights law, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, civilians and child protection,” Piquer said.
Piquer said is also essential that an independent mechanism be in place to receive complaints, investigate all allegations of human rights violations and rule on redress.
“And refer individual cases to a Haitian civilian court, or any jurisdiction of a country providing personnel for investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution,” she said.
Amnesty said it considers that the participation of Haitian organisations, including feminist organisations, in this process is crucial.
“Civil society’s collective memory and knowledge of a series of actions, which often led to abuses and other wrongdoings, must be considered during the entire process of defining and implementing human rights safeguards for the MSS,” the lobby said.
Haiti’s crisis intensified since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, leading to endemic gang violence and widespread human rights violations.
Historical foreign interventions in Haiti have often resulted in abuse and impunity, underscoring the need for stringent human rights safeguards in any security mission.
