I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2743 (2024), by which the Council extended to 15 July 2025 the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), in accordance with resolution 2476 (2019) establishing BINUH. The report includes developments since the previous report, dated 15 October 2024 (S/2024/742) and provides an update on the implementation of the BINUH mandate.
II. Political issues and good governance
2. The political transition process to restore democratic institutions by February 2026 was marked by differences between the Transitional Presidential Council and the former Prime Minister, Garry Conille, and his Government.
3. At the heart of the discord were disagreements about the conduct of foreign policy, the division of responsibilities between the two parts of the executive branch and the handling of allegations of corruption against three members of the Transitional Presidential Council. On 16 October, the Transitional Presidential Council requested Mr. Conille to discuss an immediate Cabinet reshuffle to strengthen government effectiveness. At a public forum in Port-au-Prince on 2 November, Mr. Conille acknowledged the tensions with the Transitional Presidential Council, citing disagreement over the need to publish the 3 April political agreement for a peaceful and orderly transition in the official gazette, establish key oversight mechanisms, such as the National Security Council and the Government oversight body, and the corruption allegations against the three members of the Transitional Presidential Council.
4. Amid the disputes, several Haitian political parties and platforms and civil society organizations, including some stakeholder groups (see S/2024/508) that are represented on the Transitional Presidential Council, appealed on 3 November to both sides to set aside their differences and work together on governance priorities. In parallel, a group of civil society organizations issued a statement expressing concern over waning public confidence in the transition leadership and calling for the designation of a judge from the Court of Cassation to lead the transition.
5. These disagreements culminated on 11 November with a decree issued by the Transitional Presidential Council appointing Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as Prime Minister to replace Mr. Conille. On 12 November, Mr. Conille acknowledged Mr. Fils-Aimé’s appointment as Prime Minister and highlighted the importance of unity and solidarity for the country to move forward. Mr. Fils-Aimé announced a new 18-member Cabinet on 15 November, including four women. Eight ministers from the previous Government were retained, while 10 were newly appointed. In his inauguration speech, Mr. Fils-Aimé stressed the new Government’s commitment to working cohesively with the Transitional Presidential Council to address growing insecurity and advance the political process towards elections.
6. Allegations of corruption against the three Transitional Presidential Council members continued to overshadow progress in the political process and erode public trust. On 27 November, representatives from the signatories to the agreement of 21 December 2022 (21 December Coalition), the Commission for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis (known as the Montana Group) and the Collectif des partis politiques du 30 Janvier criticized the perceived lack of action on the corruption allegations, calling for more inclusive governance arrangements and in depth-consultations between transitional authorities and stakeholder groups to remedy the situation surrounding the political transition”.
7. Mr. Fils-Aimé met with members of the steering committee of the National Conference on 28 November, expressing his support for their ongoing consultations with key sectors of Haitian society for the constitutional revision process. He reaffirmed that constitutional reform will be a key step in implementing the road map towards organizing inclusive and participatory elections.
8. Reports indicate that, on 4 December, the Prime Minister instructed government ministers to identify priorities and implement actions falling within the 3 April Accord’s five strategic pillars: public and national security, economic recovery, national conference and constitutional review, justice and the rule of law and elections. On 8 December, the Transitional Presidential Council and the Prime Minister discussed ways to strengthen cooperation among transitional authorities in the implementation of priorities. On the same day, a “framework to reinforce institutional cohesion for a successful transition” was officially adopted. The document clarifies roles and responsibilities within the executive and sets out procedures for dialogue, information-sharing and decision-making.
9. On 12 December, members of the 21 December Coalition – Pitit Desalin, the Collectif 30 Janvier, and Les Engagés pour le Développement – issued a joint note rejecting what they considered to be unilateral decisions of the Transitional Presidential Council, including a number of new appointments in public administration and the diplomatic service that they perceived as partisan. The signatories noted that inaction on the alleged corruption case undermined the credibility and legitimacy of the current transition and requested the Eminent Persons Group of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to facilitate new consultations with a view to establishing new governance arrangements. In a letter issued on the same day, the Fanmi Lavalas party expressed deep concern over the continuing deterioration in the security situation.
10. In response to a request from the Government, a United Nations electoral needs assessment mission visited Port-au-Prince in November. The mission engaged with national interlocutors, including key State institutions, such as the Provisional Electoral Council and the National Identification Office, as well as civil society, the private sector and the Multinational Security Support Mission, to prepare recommendations for continued United Nations assistance for the electoral process. The recommendations would be submitted to the Government in January 2025.
11. On 4 December 2024, the Transitional Presidential Council completed the composition of the Provisional Electoral Council, with the appointment of two remaining members, specifically, representatives of the human rights and the women’s sectors. The move raised the number of women in the electoral body to four out of nine. On 5 December, the Transitional Presidential Council appointed Ministres délégués for Electoral and Constitutional Affairs and for Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs. From 3 to 5 December, the Provisional Electoral Council, in partnership with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and with the participation of BINUH, held a retreat in Cap-Haïtien that included discussion on efforts to draft a referendum decree and confirm a timeline and the importance of dialogue with civil society and political parties.
12. The Eminent Persons Group of CARICOM met with Haitian stakeholder groups on 16 December to discuss the dissatisfaction of the latter with the Transitional Presidential Council representatives that they had appointed. The discussions were focused on several critical issues, including the lack of action on corruption allegations against three of the Council’s seven voting members, the way that the new Prime Minister had been appointed, the lack of progress on security and recent appointments perceived as partisan. The criticism, coupled with waning public confidence in the political transition, has sparked renewed debate over the reframing of the transitional governance arrangements.
13. Haiti continues to seek robust support for the ongoing transition, in particular on security. In a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 21 October, the President of the rotating Transitional Presidential Council, Leslie Voltaire, requested the transformation of the Multinational Security Support Mission into a United Nations peacekeeping operation. On 29 November, the President of the Security Council requested by letter (S/2024/868) that the Secretary-General provide, within 60 to 90 days, a comprehensive assessment of the Haiti context and strategic - level recommendations with a full range of options for the possible role that the United Nations can play. A United Nations assessment mission, to be deployed to Port-au-Prince on 7 to 11 January, will provide the Secretariat with recommendations on next steps in United Nations support for Haiti.
14. Against this backdrop and in line with its strategy to support the political transition of Haiti and the restoration of democratic institutions, under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, BINUH continued to use its good offices to support State authorities, including the Transitional Presidential Council and the Government, as well as political and civil society leaders, in their efforts to advance the political process and keep the transition to elected institutions on track. In meetings with the executive, including with the Prime Ministers on 4 and on 29 November, the President of the Transitional Presidential Council on 5 and 27 November and the Minister for Foreign and Religious Affairs on 2 December, the Special Representative reinforced the importance of national unity and a collective commitment to advancing the country’s political transition and addressing the escalating security and governance crises. On 10 December, the Prime Minister invited the Special Representative and the diplomatic corps for a meeting, during which the Special Representative advocated for cohesive efforts to enhance security and strengthen law enforcement capacities.
15. On 6 December, the Special Representative led a meeting of BINUH and the United Nations country team with the Prime Minister to discuss United Nations support for national priorities, including security, constitutional reform, elections, rule of law and socioeconomic recovery. In a statement issued on 16 December, BINUH underscored the continued support of the United Nations, while urging the need for stability and consensus to ensure sustainable improvements in the Haitian political and security landscape.
16. To boost civil society participation in the transition, in particular for women and youth, BINUH continued support for dialogue to ensure that the constitutional revision process, a critical step in the transition road map, reflects the voices and priorities of all sectors of Haitian society. On 13 November, BINUH and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided logistical support for the launch of the National Conference. From 13 to 19 November, the working group on constitutional review engaged with representatives from the private sector, trade and labour unions and civil society organizations to gather perspectives on governance, economic reforms, workers’ rights, social cohesion and democratic values. Further consultations took place on 27 November with faith-based organizations, academia, women’s groups and rural farmers’ associations.