Chinese envoy calls for improved governance capabilities of Haiti

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called for the improvement of Haiti's political and economic governance capabilities.

Over the past four months, the crisis in Haiti has continued to simmer. The internal political division has further intensified. The constitutional referendum and the presidential election are a long way off. Gang violence remains rampant. Judicial system reform has been slow and economic difficulties and fiscal deficits have aggravated, causing widespread concern from the international community and regional countries, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

China calls on Haitian political leaders to earnestly take on the responsibility of governing the country with a heightened sense of urgency so that its people can enjoy decent and stable life at an early date, he said.

A stable political structure is a prerequisite for the resolution of the Haitian issue. It is ultimately up to the Haitian people to resolve the issues facing the country. Without a competent government widely recognized by its people, nothing can be achieved, he told the Security Council.

"All parties in Haiti should start an inclusive dialogue as soon as possible, reach an agreement on political arrangements for the transitional period and come up with a realistic and feasible electoral plan and timetable," said Dai.

Gang violence remains the primary challenge to the security situation in Haiti. China notes with concern that over the past four months, kidnappings for ransom have surged by 180 percent year on year and intentional homicides were up by 17 percent year on year. Solving gang violence requires treating both the symptoms and the root causes. It is essential to improve the professional capabilities of the police. It is also crucial to cut off the channels for gangs to illegally obtain weapons and funds, and cut off the profit chain between political forces and gangsters, he said.

Alleviating the humanitarian crisis and stabilizing the economic situation are urgent tasks facing Haiti. More than 40 percent of the Haitian people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Some 4.4 million people face food insecurity due to the impact of the earthquake last August. And 19,000 people have been displaced by violence, he noted.

China hopes the international community will continue to provide humanitarian and economic assistance to Haiti. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that Haiti has not yet established an effective economic governance system, resulting in a loss of massive tax revenues, including customs duties, which greatly limits the government's ability to provide basic public services. Haiti must overcome institutional barriers to economic governance, which is a prerequisite for sustainable development, he said.

China stands ready to work with members of the Security Council and parties concerned to explore the best way to provide practical, effective, and sustainable support to Haiti so that Haiti will embark on the road of independent development at an early date, he said. ■