Dominican Republic leaders launch joint action on Haiti crisis

On Thursday morning, the Communications Department of the Presidency of the Republic announced that the head of state and former presidents Leonel Fernández, Danilo Medina, and Hipólito Mejía sent official letters to leaders of key nations on the United Nations Security Council, requesting support to transform the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti into a hybrid mission with logistical and operational leadership from the United Nations.

“The joint dispatch of these letters by the current president and three former presidents reflects the national urgency and political consensus on the need for more effective international action to prevent the total collapse of the Haitian state,” explained presidential spokesman Homero Figueroa.

In their communications, Dominican leaders highlight the continued deterioration of security in Haiti, warning that the territorial expansion of armed groups such as Viv Ansanm and Grand Grif has turned the country into a potential epicenter of transnational crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism.

They also warn that a Security Council resolution should not be postponed beyond June, before the rotation of the currently deployed Kenyan contingent.

The letters, signed by the four people who have led the country for the past 29 years, were sent to the heads of state of the 15 countries that are members of the UN Security Council, including Donald Trump (United States), Vladimir Putin (Russian Federation), Xi Jinping (People’s Republic of China), Sir Keir Starmer (United Kingdom), Emmanuel Macron (France), among others.

All correspondence has been channeled through the respective permanent representations to the United Nations.

“Haiti’s future is also a matter of hemispheric security. The Dominican Republic makes this call in the name of regional stability, the protection of human rights, and the defense of multilateralism as the only way to address shared global challenges,” the presidential spokesperson stated.

Figueroa added that the current design of the Multinational Mission does not correspond to the urgency and solidity required by the Haitian situation. He, therefore, proposed that transforming it into a hybrid mission under the direct leadership of the UN would overcome operational and financial obstacles, guarantee human rights standards, and advance toward a political solution led by the Haitians themselves.

They started a dialogue

The president and the former leaders participated in the opening session of the “Dialogue on the Haitian Crisis and its Implications for the Dominican Republic,” organized by the Economic and Social Council (CES).

In an event that lasted approximately 25 minutes, Abinader stated that the country is at a “decisive moment” because the crisis affecting Haiti could have a direct impact on the national territory.

“We find ourselves at a decisive moment in our history, a turning point that challenges us to live up to the ideals that have inspired each of our nation’s achievements. Today, more than ever, we must pause to take a deep and calm look at the present we face and, above all, the future we are called to build,” Abinader said, delivering his keynote address.

During his remarks, the president emphasized that the objective of the dialogue is to develop an “active and proactive” foreign policy that calls on the world to take joint action for Haiti’s institutional and economic reconstruction.

“It’s about building alliances, raising awareness, and mobilizing a will that recognizes that Haiti’s stability is, to a large extent, the guarantee of our own stability,” Abinader emphasized.

Haitian labor

Along the same lines, the president indicated that the situation of Haitian labor employed in the country will be discussed within the framework of this dialogue.

“Many productive sectors in our country employ Haitian labor, a situation that has generated both benefits and challenges. This forum has the responsibility of analyzing how to ensure that labor relations are governed by respect for the law, the dignity of work, and the rights of all people. Combating informality and ensuring fair working conditions is part of building a stronger, more equitable, and more humane Dominican Republic,” the president explained.

Wordless

Although Abinader delivered a nine-minute speech, none of the former presidents expressed their opinions either before or after the event.

CES President Rafael Toribio emphasized that, in an unprecedented event, the country’s key political actors are putting the nation’s interests above all other considerations, seeking and building, with representatives of all Dominican society, the necessary consensus to formulate a state strategy in the face of one of the “most complex and protracted challenges in our contemporary history.”

Additionally

The dialogue, coordinated by the CES, will deliberate within a plural, democratic, and strategic framework on six axes: Migration, Bilateral Trade, Border Community Development, National Security, International Relations, and Labor Affairs.

However, during yesterday’s event, no information was given on when these working groups would begin.