On Monday, United Nations (UN) stated that Haiti is experiencing a window of opportunity to advance its political transition and hold elections, although it warned that the insecurity caused by armed gangs remains the main obstacle to restoring stability in the Caribbean nation.
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During a Security Council session, the UN Special Representative for Haiti, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, highlighted as key advances the approval of a revision to the electoral decree, the consensus reached on the election budget, and the start of voter registration on Monday. He emphasized that the next step will be to approve a “credible and realistic” electoral calendar.
“The challenge now is to maintain this momentum and translate it into tangible improvements for the Haitian people,” Ruiz Massieu stated.
The high-ranking official insisted that electoral preparations and improved security must go hand in hand, as the latter cannot become a reason to delay the political process. The diplomat noted that violence continues to plague the population, with recent attacks in Cité Soleil, Kenscoff, Artibonite, and the southeast. He warned that millions of Haitians remain displaced or suffer from food insecurity, and that “one out of every two gang members could be a minor.”
Joint Statement by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and UNICEF Haiti on the Secretary-General’s 2025 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflicthttps://t.co/8Eg5iFqTRX pic.twitter.com/JmsnfceyXL
— BINUH (@BINUH_UN) July 13, 2026
For her part, the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Monica Juma, warned that armed gangs are no longer just seeking to control territory, but rather to seize control of institutions and the country’s main economic circuits.
She explained that criminal groups are competing for transportation, fuel, and food, expanding their presence beyond Port-au-Prince. Juma denounced that Haiti has become a logistical hub for drug trafficking in the Caribbean and that weapons continue to arrive from abroad, calling for acoordinated regional response.
At the same session, Jack Christofides, representative of the Gang Repression Force (GSF), emphasized that the mission, authorized in September 2025, already has a command structure and operational base. Following operations in Tabarre and Delmas that resulted in arrests and seizures, he requested more international support to increase pressure on armed gangs.
#Haiti | United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Haiti at a time when his institution is warning about the severity of the human rights situation in the Caribbean nation.https://t.co/nXTjlC7APU
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 17, 2026
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