The international community has overwhelmingly agreed that holding elections is the next major step in Haiti’s political transition as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country look towards a stable and secure future.
The representatives of the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom have all urged support for Haiti’s move towards holding elections. The country has not had an elected president since 2021.
President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July that year and since then it’s just been too dangerous for Haitians to vote. But despite the insecurity, preparations for long-delayed elections are moving ahead, with officials hoping voting can begin before the end of 2026.
Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva, supported calls for elections in the CARICOM country.
‘Haiti should decide its future independently, without nefarious external interference, which is what caused many of the country’s problems in the first place,’ she said, adding that insecurity must not become an excuse for further delays.
Ambassador Archibald Young of the United Kingdom in welcoming the recent progress on Haiti’s electoral timetable encouraged ‘continued momentum towards holding credible elections, which are vital for Haiti’s transition,’ while his French counterpart, Jay Dharmadhikari stressed the urgency of bringing the political transition to a successful conclusion once a minimum level of security has been restored and key national roads reopened.
‘Only the restoration of the country’s democratic institutions, through the holding of elections, will allow the laying of the foundations for renewed governance,’ he said.
For his part, the United States Ambassador Mike Waltz said Washington has played a leading diplomatic and financial role in establishing the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) which is expected to play a key role in ensuring the security of the country ahead of the polls.
The GSF is a 5,550-strong, UN-backed multinational security mission authorised under UN Security Council Resolution 2793 to neutralise armed groups controlling parts of Port-au-Prince. It operates in coordination with the Haitian National Police to secure critical infrastructure and protect civilians.
It was formed to replace the underfunded, smaller Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. It is empowered not only to support local police but to conduct intelligence-led arrest operations.
Waltz in his address to the UN Security Council highlighted the severe humanitarian consequences of gang violence, including the recruitment of children, kidnappings for ransom and restrictions on civilians’ freedom of movement.
He said impoverished families were being forced to sell their few remaining possessions to secure the release of abducted relatives, while others had to pay gang-imposed tolls simply to leave their homes or travel along key roads.
‘The Haitian people deserve streets free of gangs, institutions free of intimidation, and a government chosen by them,’ he said.
Haiti’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Raina Forbin, said her country Haiti needs ‘free, credible, inclusive and above all participatory elections’ as she urged the international community not to abandon the country in its time of need.
Forbin said that elections which restore trust, strengthen democratic legitimacy as well as pave the way to lasting peace and stability must be encouraged.
‘This is what 12 million men, women and children in Haiti are hoping for. Today, seven of Haiti’s 10 departments are ready for electoral activities without any major security impediments.’
The Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez urged the international community to accelerate the deployment of the GSF as well as to strengthen sanctions against countries and organisations that finance criminals operating in the country.
Álvarez warned that simply extending the GSF’s mandate approved last September, would not be enough to guarantee the success of security operations in Haiti, noting that of the 5,550 troops authorised to comprise the international force, barely more than 1,000 have been deployed.
‘We have committed troops, the necessary resources to support them, and an operational command structure. The main obstacle to its deployment remains logistical,’ Alvarez said, noting that the limited availability of strategic air transport has delayed the arrival of personnel and equipment.
In this regard, he called on countries with military transport capabilities to collaborate with the mission.
‘A purely logistical problem should not hinder the international community’s protection of an entire people,’ he said, urging member states to more firmly implement the sanctions stipulated in Security Council resolution 2653 against individuals and organizations that finance and support armed groups.
‘We must fully utilize this instrument to identify and punish those who support and enable the operation of these criminal organizations,’ Álvarez said, reiterating that restoring security is an essential condition for holding elections in Haiti.
‘Elections do not guarantee security. But security will make elections possible,’ he told the Security Council members.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Frazier, the United Nations Secretary-General’s representative for children and armed conflict, told the Council that Haiti’s children are being ‘targeted, exploited and instrumentalized’ by armed groups.
In 2025, the UN verified 2,088 grave violations against 1,661 children, including recruitment, killing, maiming, abduction and sexual violence. Estimates suggest children may constitute more than half of gang members.
Frazier said that children associated with gangs must be treated primarily as victims and protected in accordance with international standards.