Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield U.S. Representative to the United Nations New York, New York July 22, 2024
AS DELIVERED
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here today.
Nearly three years ago today I traveled to Haiti. It was July 23rd, 2021, and I was leading President Biden’s delegation to the funeral of President Moïse.
It was a moment of uncertainty, of unknowns, and as we would learn that day of continued anger and continued danger. We were only on the ground for a few hours before we heard the sound of gunfire – the sound that so many Haitians have tragically become more accustomed to hearing in the years since.
And so, our trip was cut short because of the threat to our safety. And I remember leaving that day deeply concerned for the people of – for the people of Haiti, the Haitian people whose history of liberation and resilience has inspired the world for centuries, who want desperately to return to peace and democracy. And the Americans and UN officials there to support them, to do all we could to see to it that the people of Haiti are fed, sheltered, and safe.
It has been a long three years since I came to Haiti, but I’ve had a remarkable day on the ground here in Port-au-Prince, alongside leadership from the White House and across the U.S. government, and with the U.S. Ambassador.
So I – this isn’t a naïve sense of hope, but I do have a sense of hope. This has been a remarkable day on the ground. I heard from brave young leaders from across Haitian civil society about the seemingly surmountable hurdles their communities face every day. But I couldn’t be prouder of so many people here on the ground in Haiti, in collaboration with the United States, the United Nations, and countries all over the region and world, including CARICOM countries, who are working every day to create a better future for the Haitian people. That includes members of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, who share in our commitment to reduce crime, strengthen human rights, and build a more transparent, representative government.
As I discussed with many people today, Haiti – Haitians – deserve free and fair elections and a government that is truly accountable to the people. In this work, we’re fortunate to have as a partner Prime Minister Conille, who I also met with today. We discussed security and humanitarian concerns in Haiti, as well as the Multinational Security Support mission and the Haitian National Police as they work together to make progress restoring security. And on that note, just prior to coming here, I was able to tour the MSS Mission’s Life Support Area, and it really did fill me with tremendous pride. Because in so many ways, it’s an example of power and the promise of American leadership. We’ve marshaled the international community, including the United Nations, to bring this mission to life, including leading the adoption with Ecuador of the Security Council Resolution 2699, which established the MSS.
We know that progress isn’t lineal. There will be inevitable setbacks and stumbling blocks. And yet this mission has opened a door to progress. It has been almost a month since the first contingent of officers arrived in Port-au-Prince, and just over a week since the second group arrived, and we expect others from CARICOM and the region to arrive soon. This is truly a multinational effort.
I met with the MSS commander, and I would like to take an opportunity now to thank Kenya, because without its leadership this mission would not be a reality. We discussed the need for the MSS to have the utmost respect for human rights. And we’re committed to working with Kenya to ensure personnel continue to act with integrity and transparency.
Now, I’ve said that the MSS and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, BINUH, is mutually reinforcing. If the MSS can succeed in supporting the Haitian National Police and improving Haiti’s security environment, BINUH will be better able to implement its mandate and make a positive impact on Haiti. So the United States welcomes the Security Council’s unanimous extension of BINUH’s mandate to continue its critical work. And I was happy to have the opportunity to sit with BINUH and the UN country team today.
Finally, if it sounds like I’ve squeezed a lot into the few hours on the ground, I actually did. I had the opportunity to meet with members of Haitian civil society, young leaders dedicated to human rights and gender equality, food security and health care, leaders who in the face of adversity and despair offer a ray of hope – a ray of hope. They are the future of this country and the reason that I believe the future is bright.
Now, all of that said, these leaders need our support. Their families and communities need our support. And those helping to create a democratic future in Haiti need our support to alleviate food security – to alleviate food insecurity and protect human rights, to create a durable political solution, one that encourages wider participation, including for women and young people.
So we call on all international partners to do more and give more, including by providing the MSS mission with funding and in-kind contributions, and renewing its mandate as it continues to help the Haitian National Police stabilize the country. The United States is committed to leading on these fronts and delivering for the Haitian people?
And so I’m proud to announce that the United States, through USAID, is providing an additional $60 million in humanitarian assistance to support the Haitian people, alleviate the suffering caused by gang violence and political instability. This funding will help USAID partners fill gaps in nutrition – gaps in nutrition, food security, and shelter, and it will improve water and sanitation services and enable affected communities to purchase essential commodities.
In addition, today we’re announcing a package of vehicles to support the Multinational Security Support Mission mobility. The package includes a substantial increase in the number of mine-resistance, ambush-protected vehicles through the Department of Defense. I’m also announcing that the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs intends to procure an additional broad range of armored vehicles. This enhanced vehicle package will further assist the MSS in combating gang violence in Port-au-Prince. I hope this funding and support serves as a call to action for members of the international community to join suit – to join. And I hope that this visit compels the world to focus their eyes on Haiti. We know the challenges and stumbling blocks standing in the way of progress, but also the leaders in government, in security, in civil society, and in the international community are committed to making a difference.
So what I saw today with my own eyes reaffirmed what the world has long known about the Haitian people: since independence, as the first Black republic, Haitians are resilient. The beloved late Haitian singer Mikaben described this country as a mother who, despite pain and suffering, stands strong so that her children can walk with their heads held up proud. To the people of Haiti, my message is this: continue to stand strong and tall.
I’m grateful to have a partner in you, and I hope today reaffirmed that you have a partner in the United States, and me as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
So with that, I’ll take a few questions.
QUESTION: (In Haitian Creole) I remember that in July 2021, people were rushing to leave the place where the funeral of former President Jovenel Moise was taking place. From July 2021 to today, the security situation deteriorated despite the support of the United States. What do you think we did wrong? Will the U.S. build new bases for the multinational mission? When will the 2500 members of the MSS be on the ground?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Let me answer the first. So we have been working steadily with the Government of Haiti, with the people of Haiti over the past three years. The President has committed to supporting Haiti, which is why he used his own authority to draw down $60 million to support Haiti. But altogether we’ve committed 300 million toward this Multinational Support Mission. And since 2021, we’ve given over $1 billion to support Haiti in the humanitarian area, in security, and in development. And we’re working with other international governments to support these efforts.
QUESTION: (In Haitian Creole) Will the U.S. build new bases for the multinational mission? When will the 2500 members of the MSS be on the ground?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: So we have, as you know, 400,000 right – sorry, 400 right now from Kenya. We have an additional 200 that will be joining this group from the Caribbean, from Jamaica. And Kenya is in the process of training an additional 600 to join this group. So this is just a start right now, but we will continue to work with other countries to make additional contributions to this force.
QUESTION: Thank you so much, Ambassador. I know you posted about this on X, but I wanted to ask you about your reaction to President Biden’s decision to not seek a second term in the White House. What are your emotions based off of that, and do you echo his endorsement of Vice President Harris? And then connected to that, do you see the future of Haiti, the path back to free and fair elections, as being related to who sits behind the Resolute Desk, or is Haiti already on that path?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: My statement on X spoke for itself. It has been an honor and a pleasure for me to work for the President these past three-and-a-half years. And as I said in my statement, we have six months; the President will be President until January 20, 2025, and we will all be working hard to deliver on his promise over that period, and including to deliver on the promise to the people of Haiti.
The second part of the question was about Haiti. Yeah, I got it. Yeah.
QUESTION: Thank you, Madam Ambassador. You mentioned wanting additional contributions from other members of the international community. I’m just wondering if you could specify what exactly you’re looking for in terms of numbers and troop commitments and those in-kind contributions you mentioned, and if there are particular countries or regions that are perhaps most targeted?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Yeah, we’re looking for all of the above: money, contributions toward equipping the multinational force, contributions toward staffing the multinational force. We have been working very closely with the Canadian government, with the French government. There is kind of a Group of Friends of Haiti in New York. We have been meeting on a regular basis. It includes the EU as well as others who have already made contributions to the multinational force. But clearly more needs to come in, and we will continue to press other governments to contribute.
QUESTION: (In Haitian Creole) My first question is about the multinational mission. Although the Kenyans are in Haiti, many feel that many territories have remained under gang control. I’d like to hear what the United States has to say about this. Second question: will the United States finance the elections?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Look, I leave here today very hopeful, having seen what I saw on the ground just today. I heard a sense of hope from the Presidential Council, and I heard a sense of hope from the transitional Prime Minister. I heard the two of them, the two – the Council and the Prime Minister say that they are working together collaboratively to bring elections to the people of Haiti.
We are working with the Government through USAID to support the election process, and we’re working with the United Nations, who are also supporting the election process. And we’re committed to seeing the election come to fruition.
QUESTION: Thank you. You heard a little bit of skepticism at that meeting with civil society about this MSS, and I wonder, why do you think this initiative is going to be different from past missions that have failed? And secondly, did you hear any concern privately from the transitional authorities about the political turmoil in Washington, and how did you reassure them about that?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: So I heard skepticism, but I am – I know that this mission is different. It’s different from any other mission that has ever come to Haiti before, and the reason it’s different is because the other missions did not succeed. We are working very, very closely with the Kenyans to ensure that they got human rights training, that they got medical support. We are facilitating their engagement with the Kenyan people. So I do think this mission is different, and I think that the Haitian people will see the impact of this mission and see that it’s different from others. And I understand there’s skepticism having gone through what they’ve gone through previously, but it’s only been three weeks that the MSS has been on the ground – four weeks, a little over three weeks – and they have already made some progress and I expect to see more progress soon.
I didn’t hear anything specific on the United States. I think the transitional authority want assurances that our support for Haiti will continue. And again, we have a large number of Congress – people in Congress, who are supportive of Haiti, and they will continue to support these efforts moving forward.
MODERATOR: That’s all.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: That’s it. Thank you very, very much.
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