OHCHR / HAITI TÜRK

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the situation in Haiti is “cataclysmic” and stressed that “tackling insecurity must be a top priority to protect the population and prevent further human suffering.” OHCHR

Description

STORY: OHCHR / HAITI TÜRK
TRT: 01:32
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 MARCH 2024, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais Wilson

28 MARCH 2024, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations:
“The situation in Haiti is cataclysmic. Corruption, impunity, and poor governance, compounded by increasing levels of gang violence, have eroded the rule of law, and brought State institutions close to collapse. Tackling insecurity must be a top priority to protect the population and prevent further human suffering. Gangs continued to use sexual violence to brutalise, punish and control people. Some women are forced into exploitative sexual relations with gang members. In addition, the rape of kidnapped hostages continues to be used to coerce families into paying ransoms. Children continue to be recruited and abused. All these practices are outrageous and must stop at once. It is shocking that despite the horrific situation on the ground, arms keep still pouring in. I appeal for a more effective implementation of the arms embargo. I reiterate the need for an urgent deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission to help the National Police to stop violence. I also want to stress that enhancing security alone will not be conducive to long-lasting solutions, and I call for concurrent policies aiming at the restoration of the rule of law. Accountability is paramount if we aim to restore public trust in the rule of law and the state institutions.”

FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

3. Med shot, sign outside Palais Wilson

Storyline

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk today (28 Mar) said the situation in Haiti is “cataclysmic” and stressed that “tackling insecurity must be a top priority to protect the population and prevent further human suffering.”

Türk said, “corruption, impunity and poor governance, compounded by increasing levels of gang violence, have eroded the rule of law and brought State institutions close to collapse.”

He said, “gangs continued to use sexual violence to brutalise, punish and control people. Some women are forced into exploitative sexual relations with gang members. In addition, the rape of kidnapped hostages continues to be used to coerce families into paying ransoms. Children continue to be recruited and abused.”

The High Commissioner said, “all these practices are outrageous and must stop at once.”

He said it was “shocking that despite the horrific situation on the ground, arms keep still pouring in,” and appealed “for a more effective implementation of the arms embargo.”

Türk reiterated “the need for an urgent deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission to help the National Police to stop violence” and stressed that “enhancing security alone will not be conducive to long-lasting solutions,” calling for “concurrent policies aiming at the restoration of the rule of law.”

Accountability, he said, “is paramount if we aim to restore public trust in the rule of law and the state institutions.”

• Production Date: 28 March 2024
• Creator: OHCHR
• Alternate Title: unifeed240328e
• Subject Topical: SEXUAL VIOLENCE; ORGANIZED CRIME; HUMAN RIGHTS; VIOLENCE; CORRUPTION
• Subject Name: VOLKER TÜRK
• Geographic Subject: HAITI
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• MAMS Id: 3190266
• Parent Id: 3190266