Law & Justice

In the wake of the UN’s decision to withdraw its military peacekeepers from Haiti, the Haitian government is now faced with questions about what, if any, military force should replace them to avoid a security vacuum. Haiti’s national army has been disbanded for 22 years, and, for many Haitians, the thought of reconstituting an army brings back memories of the political repression and destabilization associated with the prior military regime. Thus, while many Haitians do support the idea, others fear it will quickly become politicized and thwart Haiti’s democratic progress. Part of the article is shown below. Click HERE for the original article. With End of UN Mission Ahead, Haiti Seeks to Revive Its Military Voice of America (Associated Press) April 19, 2017 GRESSIER, HAITI — Their heads held high and chests puffed out, nearly 100 Haitian men in camouflage fatigues do jumping jacks or march around […]

While the United Nations peacekeepers were purportedly sent to Haiti to protect the people there, Haitians are not so sure. UN peacekeepers brought cholera to Haiti in 2010, for the first time recorded in the country’s history. UN peacekeepers have also been perpetrators of sexual abuse and exploitation of both women and children in Haiti and other countries around the world. The vast majority of the time, justice is not served for these abuses because it is left up to the home countries to prosecute the perpetrators. Rather than revealing these scandals and shaming the home countries into acting justly, the UN has kept the abuses under wraps, helping the culture of impunity to continue. U.S. ambassadors are now demanding that all nations who supply peacekeepers hold abusers accountable, or risk losing their agreements with the UN (and thus, their compensation). […]

When Roma families moved onto land contaminated with lead, health experts warned the United Nations that the land was toxic and the families should be relocated. Even so, the residents were left there for years accumulating health problems, especially among expecting mothers, children and the elderly, because of the toxic soil and dust in the region. For perhaps a decade, victims of this poisoning and their advocates have been seeking an apology and compensation from the UN but their efforts have been frustrated just like the efforts of cholera victims and their advocates: If the UN goes too far in acknowledging its responsibility, it may be legally bound to actually pay for its negligence. Part of the article is below. Read the full text here. Roma Sickened in U.N. Camps Are Still Waiting for Redress Rick Gladstone, The New York Times April 18, […]

Today, the UN Security Council voted to end the MINUSTAH peacekeeping mission after a 13-year presence in Haiti. But, the end of this mission does not mean the end of the UN’s influence in the country. The vote determined that MINUSTAH will be replaced by a smaller police mission, which is intended to promote the rule of law and human rights. MINUSTAH has been plagued by controversy since it began its mission, and, despite what may happen with the future mission, many in Haiti are happy to see it go. Part of the article is shown below. Click HERE for the original article. UN to Close Haiti Peacekeeping Mission in October Margaret Besheer, Voice of America News April 13, 2017 The United Nations Security Council took action Thursday to begin shutting down its 13-year-old peacekeeping mission in Haiti. The current 5,000-strong mission will begin drawing down its […]

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley addressed the UN Security Council (UNSC) Thursday after the UNSC voted to withdraw MINUSTAH in October and replace it with a much smaller police force. UN peacekeepers have been getting away with sexual abuse because it is up to their home countries to prosecute them for their crimes. This is even true for the 134 Sri Lankan troops who ran a sex ring in Haiti with nine children as young as 12: Not one was jailed and Sri Lanka continued sending peacekeepers to Haiti. As professor Mark Schuller says: “The U.N. is not accountable to the Haitian government or people. That creates a culture of implied immunity.” U.S. Envoy Says U.N. Peacekeepers Must Be Punished for Sexual Abuse Edith M. Lederer and Paisley Dodd, TIME April 13, 2017 (UNITED NATIONS) — U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Thursday […]

Trish Wilson is the international investigators editor who oversaw a recent Associated Press investigation into UN sex abuse in Haiti. AP uncovered a sex ring involving at least 134 Sri Lankan peacekeepers, who exploited and abused 9 Haitian children over a period of three years. The UN had conducted an internal investigation into this ring; UN officials interviewed the children and confirmed their allegations of horrific abuse. However, the UN lacks jurisdiction to prosecute or punish its peacekeepers, and responsibility falls on perpetrators’ home countries. Thus, despite corroboration of the victims’ experiences, the peacekeepers faced few repercussions and were largely held unaccountable for the crimes, continuing a culture of impunity within the UN. Part of the interview is shown below. Click HERE for the original interview. UN peacekeepers accused of thousands of cases of abuse, AP finds PBS NewsHour April 12, 2017 JUDY […]