Haiti

Haiti has made some progress in restoring the rule of law, the United Nations independent expert on the human rights situation in the Caribbean country said today, citing as examples the appointment of the president of the highest appellate court and the upcoming establishment of the supreme council of the judiciary.

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille promised that 2012 would be a year of reconstruction and economic recovery in Haiti with a growth rate of eight percent. He made the pledge only days before Haitians mark the second anniversary of the earthquake that killed more than 200,000 of their people.

Chilean Defense Minister Andres Allamand announced Tuesday that his country will gradually withdraw its United Nations (UN) military contingent from Haiti starting in 2012. … About 500 Chilean military and police officers have been dispatched to Haiti since 2004, when the UN decided to intervene in the Caribbean country after a nationwide armed conflict that caused the fall of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Nigel Fisher, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti told reporters in New York that there have been significant advances on education, health, job creation, and infrastructure, among other sectors, through effective reconstruction projects.

The military was disbanded over human rights abuses in 1995 … But now President Michel Martelly is pledging to revive it, pressing forward with a plan to reconstitute the Haitian military as a kind of national guard or civil defense force to supplement the weak national police.

Haiti's new Prime Minister Garry Conille was sworn into office Tuesday along with 16 cabinet ministers. The new government took office five months after Michel Martelly was sworn in as president.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) for another year and agreed to reduce the number of troops on the ground by 2,500.
In a resolution adopted unanimously, the 15-member body extended MINUSTAH’s authorization until 15 October 2012.

Haitian President Michel Martelly sought to rally prominent political figures behind him on Wednesday, meeting with two former presidents in an effort to encourage reconciliation among past rivals. … He said he had proposed the creation of a council of former Haitian presidents he hoped would assist in building consensus in a country often torn by political faction-fighting, and still struggling to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake.

The senate in Haiti has appointed an aide to former US President Bill Clinton as prime minister. Garry Conille was the third nomination put forward by President Michel Martelly, ending months of delay in forming a government.

Haitian President Michel Martelly said today he does not want the United Nations peacekeeping mission to leave but to stay on to assist the impoverished country as his Government seeks to tackle the problems of education, jobs, the environment and the rule of law.