Madam Chair,
Switzerland thanks Kenya, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Niger and Tunisia for organizing this meeting and the speakers for their contributions.
We welcome the UN's commitment to the root causes of the crisis and we welcome the fact that the Security Council was able to send a united signal by renewing the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti. Let me highlight the following aspects:
Following the August 14 earthquake, Switzerland provided emergency aid to more than 20,000 people. In a nexus approach, this additional aid benefited from the activities of Swiss cooperation and its partners on the ground. In the long term, Switzerland contributes to the institutionalization of policies to assist the most vulnerable, from social protection and food security to disaster risk reduction.
We would also like to highlight the commitment of the Peacebuilding Fund in Haiti to fill critical peacebuilding gaps. We are convinced of the need for rapid, flexible and catalytic funding of local initiatives, to which we will continue to contribute.
To make this commitment more sustainable, a national dialogue and reconciliation process are needed, especially to lead to fair and free elections. In our experience, the inclusion of all stakeholders, especially local actors, including women, civil society and the private sector, is paramount. Attacks on human rights defenders and other members of civil society are an obstacle to their participation and must be stopped. We also encourage the UN to focus on local governance, impunity, corruption and economic modernisation.
Finally, allow me to congratulate Ms. Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie, for the efforts made to stabilise the situation. We invite the OIF to share its expertise in order to contribute to a political agreement.
Switzerland, with its long-standing commitment to the country and as a candidate for the Security Council, will remain a reliable partner for Haiti and the UN on the ground.
I thank you.