UK explanation of vote delivered by Jennifer MacNaughtan, UK minister counsellor, following the UN Security Council vote on the Haiti sanctions regime.
I welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Haiti today, [Friday].
The UK condemns, without reservation, the violence that continues to undermine efforts to restore democratic rule in Haiti. We remain committed to using UN sanctions to maintain pressure on those who seek to destabilise Haiti. We welcome this mandate renewal, and thank the United States and Panama for their efforts.
It is vital that the Council remains fully informed of the scale and nature of violence being perpetrated in Haiti, including the alarming reports of widespread sexual and gender-based violence. The targeting of women and girls in Haiti because of their gender is unacceptable. This includes forced marriage, harassment, assault, forced labour, and forms of trafficking, kidnapping and sexual violence.
Sanctions remain an essential tool to address insecurity in Haiti and to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people. We will continue to work with all Council members to this end.
