S - Security Council - United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti - I. Introduction

The protesters, who denounced the Government’s intention to replace the Constitution by referendu m, continued to demand the departure of the President and the establishment of a transitional government to enact governance and economic reforms and organize elections. [...] Among the views expressed was the perceived lack of legitimacy of the draft in the absence of a political agreement, together with concerns that the Committee had gone too far in attempting to reduce the power of the parliament, which is currently viewed by some actors as excessive and a source of instability. [...] The measures, cri ticized by judicial personnel, civil society and some international partners as undermining the judiciary, prompted four judges’ associations to go on strike from 15 February to protest against the lack of independence of the judiciary and call for the withdrawal of the executive orders and the reinstatement of the clerk. [...] Recognizing the relevance of cross-border issues, including revenue collection, for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, and building on the current political momentum to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, the United Nations country teams in Haiti and the Dominican Republic held a joint meeting in March. [...] I urge the Government to build on the progress made by the two interministerial task forces on community violence reduction and use the momentum to provide the resources and political commitment necessary to support the approval and implementation of the draft national strategy on community violence reduction within the time frame envisaged.