Mr President,
Switzerland welcomes the Council's decision today, which sends a strong signal of solidarity to the Haitian people.
We would like to thank the co-penholders, Ecuador and the United States, as well as member States of the Council for their efforts to reach a consensus.
Today's authorization of a Multinational Security Support Mission bears witness to the fact that the pleas for help from Haiti have been heard. Switzerland is aware of the expectations placed on the international response and of the precarious security situation. With this in mind, Switzerland welcomes the fact that respect for international law, and in particular human rights, is an integral part of this mission and reinforces its mandate. We call on all actors to respect and protect the human rights of every individual. We welcome the importance given to child protection and to taking into account the dimensions of sexual and gender-based violence. With this resolution, we therefore mandate the mission and the participating states to respect these principles by setting the highest possible example.
Finally, Switzerland welcomes the announcement by Kenya and other states, particularly in the region, of their intention to contribute to this multinational mission. We also call on the international community to ensure that this mission is coordinated with the other current and future components of international aid in the country. These will pave the way, through an integral and holistic approach, for the implementation of an inter-Haitian dialogue to respond to the complex crises affecting the country.
I thank you.