Архивы Human Rights — Human Rights & Charity

UK’s newly passed ‘Safety in Rwanda’ bill is anything but safe: UN officials

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a joint statement calling on the UK Government to reconsider its plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda.

This arrangement seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermining international cooperation, Mr. Grandi added.

“The new legislation marks a further step away from the UK’s long tradition of providing refuge to those in need, in breach of the Refugee Convention,” he said. “Protecting refugees requires all countries, not just those neighbouring crisis zones, to uphold their obligations.”

Instead, the UK should take practical measures to address irregular flows of refugees and migrants, based on international cooperation and respect for international human rights law, the UN officials said.

A Ukrainian girl comforts her six-year-old brother as they prepare to leave a UNICEF-supported centre in Romania for their next destination. (file)

Raises risks for asylum seekers

The asylum and immigration legislation, known commonly as the Safety of Rwanda bill, was tabled before Parliament alongside the UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership Treaty after the UK’s Supreme Court found last year that the proposed transfer of asylum seekers to the African country would breach international and UK law.

The court’s decision had noted weaknesses in Rwanda’s system for determining individual asylum claims.

But, the bill and the treaty do not in practice overcome the protection gaps identified by the Supreme Court, the UN officials stated, adding that once enacted, the measures will restrict the UK courts from properly scrutinising removal decisions, leaving asylum seekers with limited room to appeal even if they face significant risks.

New bill sets ‘a perilous precedent’

Mr. Türk said the bill infringes on the rule of law.

“By shifting responsibility for refugees, reducing the UK’s courts’ ability to scrutinise removal decisions, restricting access to legal remedies in the UK and limiting the scope of domestic and international human rights protections for a specific group of people, this new legislation seriously hinders the rule of law in the UK and sets a perilous precedent globally,” the UN rights chief said.

He said it is critical to the protection of the human rights and dignity of refugees and migrants seeking protection that all removals from the UK are carried out after assessing their specific individual circumstances in strict compliance with international human rights and refugee law.

A fair, efficient and well-governed migration and asylum system is key to ensuring access to protection for those in need and enabling the return home of those with no lawful basis to remain, the UN officials said.

Acknowledging the challenges presented by the irregular movement of refugees and migrants, often in dangerous circumstances, the UN leaders nonetheless expressed grave concern that the legislation would facilitate transfers under the UK-Rwanda asylum partnership, with only limited consideration of their individual circumstances or any protection risks.

They called on the UK instead to pursue practical cooperation with countries along the routes that refugees and migrants take, to strengthen protection and offer real alternatives. This includes expanding safe and regular pathways to protection, they said.

A plane about to take off from Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom.

Progressively restrictive laws

The UN officials pointed out that the new legislation is the third in a series of progressively restrictive laws that have eroded access to refugee protection in the UK since 2022, including through a ban on access to asylum or other forms of permission to stay in the UK for those arriving irregularly via a third country.

If implemented, the new bill would “pave the way for asylum seekers, including families with children, to be summarily sent to Rwanda to present their asylum claims, with no prospect of return to the UK”, they said.

The new bill will also drastically limit the ability for asylum seekers to challenge or appeal removal decisions, with decision makers and judges required to conclusively treat Rwanda as a “safe” country in terms of protecting asylum seekers, regardless of any evidence to the contrary, now or in the future, the UN officials said.

This situation is even more concerning given the legislation expressly authorises the UK Government to disregard any protective interim remedies from the European Court of Human Rights, the UN chiefs warned.

Airlines urged not to facilitate UK-Rwanda asylum transfers

Two years ago, London announced the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP), now referred to as the UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership, which stated that asylum seekers in the UK would be sent to Rwanda before their cases could be heard.

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The national Rwandan asylum system would then consider their need for international protection.

In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court said the policy was unlawful due to safety concerns in Rwanda. In response, the UK and Rwanda created the new bill, declaring Rwanda a safe country, among other stipulations.

Risk of refoulement

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is working on having the bill passed and recently said that the first flight transporting asylum seekers is set to leave in 10 to 12 weeks, around July, according to international media reports.

However, the UN Special Rapporteurs warned that removing asylum seekers to Rwanda, or anywhere else, could put airlines and aviation authorities at risk of refoulement – the forced return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they may face persecution, torture or other serious harm – “which would violate the right to be free from torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”.

The experts said that “even if the UK-Rwanda agreement and the Safety of Rwanda bill are approved, airlines and aviation regulators could be complicit in violating internationally protected human rights and court orders by facilitating removals to Rwanda.”

They added that airlines should be held responsible if they assist in the removal of asylum seekers from the UK.

The UN experts have been in contact with the UK Government and national, European and international aviation regulators to remind them of their responsibilities, including under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The UN Human Rights Council appoints Special Rapporteurs to monitor and report on global situations and issues. They serve in their individual capacity, are not UN staff, are independent of any government or organization and are not compensated for their work.

Myanmar: Rohingyas in firing line as Rakhine conflict intensifies

Rakhine was the site of a brutal crackdown on the Rohingyas by the military in 2017, leading to the killing of some 10,000 men, women and newborns and the exodus of nearly 750,000 community members, many of whom continue to languish in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh.

“Rakhine state has once again become a battleground involving multiple actors, and civilians are paying a heavy price, with Rohingya at particular risk,” Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

“What is particularly disturbing is that whereas in 2017, the Rohingya were targeted by one group, they are now trapped between two armed factions who have a track record of killing them. We must not allow the Rohingya to be targeted again.”

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Widespread fighting

The breakdown of a year-long informal ceasefire between the military and the Arakan Army (AA) last November has plunged 15 out of Rakhine’s 17 townships into conflict.

The military’s loss of territory to the AA in northern and central parts of the province has led to intensified fighting in the townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw, setting the stage for a potential battle for the state capital, Sittwe.

The presence of large Rohingya populations in these areas further exacerbates the risks faced by civilians.

Forced conscription by military

“Facing defeat, the military has outrageously started to forcibly conscript, bribe and coerce Rohingya into joining their ranks,” Mr. Türk said.

“It is unconscionable that they should be targeted in this way, given the appalling events of six years ago and the ongoing extreme discrimination against the Rohingya, including the denial of citizenship”.

Reports also suggest that both Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine villagers have been coerced into burning each other’s homes and villages, escalating tensions and violence.

OHCHR is trying to verify the reports, a task complicated by a communications blackout throughout the state.

Alarm bells ringing

The High Commissioner also cited widespread disinformation and propaganda, pointing to claims that so called “Islamic terrorists” have taken Hindus and Buddhists hostages.

“This was the same kind of hateful narrative that fuelled communal violence in 2012 and the horrendous attacks against the Rohingya in 2017,” he said.

“Countries with influence on the Myanmar military and armed groups involved must act now to protect all civilians in Rakhine state and prevent another episode of horrendous persecution of the Rohingya,” he urged.

Transform landmark Indigenous rights declaration into reality: UN General Assembly President

“In these trying times – where peace is under severe threat, and dialogue and diplomacy are in dire need – let us be an example of constructive dialogue to honour our commitments to Indigenous Peoples,” Dennis Francis told world leaders and ambassadors meeting in the General Assembly Hall.

Member States convened to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, where countries reaffirmed their commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of Indigenous People.

The outcome document voiced support for implementing the landmark UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007, which prescribed minimum standards for the recognition, protection and promotion of these rights.

Poverty, inequality and abuse

Mr. Francis reflected on UN achievements over this period, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promises to leave no one behind, and the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032),which aims to both preserve these languages and protect Indigenous cultures, traditions, wisdom and knowledge.

“Despite these strides, Indigenous Peoples still are more likely to live in extreme poverty – still more likely to suffer from the adverse impacts of climate change, and still more likely to face dispossession and eviction from ancestral lands, as well as having unequal access to health and education, compared to other groups,” he said.

Additionally, Indigenous women are still three times more likely to experience sexual violence in their lifetime compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts.

“We must intensify our actions to translate the landmark 2007 UN Declaration into meaningful change on the ground,” he said.

Ensure intrinsic rights

Li Jinhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, noted that the lack of effective participation by Indigenous Peoples in development processes continues to be a major obstacle in advancing efforts at the national level.

However, with UN assistance, some governments have adopted national action plans and other measures to support the effective implementation of the landmark declaration on Indigenous rights.

He urged countries to establish concrete measures to recognize and ensure the intrinsic, collective rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the right of self-determination and autonomy, as well as their historical property and cultural rights.

“Member States must close the persistent gaps in implementation through targeted interventions that are consistent with Indigenous Peoples’ own laws, customs and traditions. More direct, long-term and predictable funding must also be part of the solution,” he added.

‘Mother Earth peoples’

The Vice-President of Bolivia, David Choquehuanca, highlighted challenges facing the world’s Indigenous Peoples, starting with this designation.

“To begin, we have to recognize that passively, we’ve allowed ourselves to be baptized with the name of Indigenous Peoples,” he said, opting instead for the terms “ancestral indigenous peoples” and “Mother Earth peoples”.

He said Indigenous Peoples participate in UN events “as disintegrated bodies, sapped of our energy and lacking structure” because “Eurocentric, anthropocentric and egocentric approaches” are favoured over the “cosmobiocentric approaches” they hold dear.

Towards full participation

With the Agenda 2030 deadline looming, the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, stressed the importance of including Indigenous Peoples in voluntary national reviews on progress towards sustainable development.

“Special attention is needed for Indigenous women and girls, the custodians of our traditions and insights into sustainable living,” she added.

Ms. Ibrahim also called for recognizing Indigenous-led initiatives, including from the 2013 Alta Conference in Norway, which shaped the UN World Conference held the following year.

“We reiterate the Alta call for establishing mechanisms at the UN for our full participation and advocate for the urgent appointment of an Under-Secretary-General for Indigenous Peoples,” she said.

She added that in Indigenous communities, every voice is heard – from wise elders to those just starting to speak.

“Let this inclusivity be mirrored in all forums in the United National and multilateral processes, as well as within Nations, embodying the openness and hospitality that is inherent in Indigenous traditions,” she said.

UN leaders call for more action to end racism and discrimination

UN Secretary-General António Guterres celebrated the achievements and contributions of people of African descent from across the world, while addressing the forum via video message, but also acknowledged existing racial discrimination and inequalities Black people continue to face.

He said the establishment of the Permanent Forum shows a dedication from the international community to address these injustices. Still, it needs to be backed by significant change for people of African descent globally.

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“Now we must build on that momentum to drive meaningful change – by ensuring that people of African descent enjoy the full and equal realization of their human rights; by stepping up efforts to eliminate racism and discrimination – including through reparations; and by taking steps towards the full inclusion of people of African descent in society as equal citizens,” said Mr. Guterres.

‘Formidable convening power’

Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif praised the forum for its “formidable convening power” by meeting for a third high profile session less than two years after becoming operational.

She commended the forum’s planned 70 side events focusing on climate justice, education, health, and more for people of African descent, saying it shows a “remarkable effort, amplifying the reach and impact of our collective commitment.”

Ms. Al-Nashif urged Member States to participate in discussions and act on recommendations derived from them.

“Only then can we ensure that all civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of people of African descent can be fully realized without discrimination or bias,” she said.

Decade should extend

Ms. Al-Nashif said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, supports the extension of the International Decade for people of African Descent – a time proclaimed by the General Assembly in 2015 to focus on recognition, justice and development.

During the Permanent Forum, a conversation will be centred around achievement limitations and expectations of the requested second international decade.

“We look forward to the outcome of the discussions of this session; and we will be following the intergovernmental discussions in relation to the International Decade throughout this year,” said Ms. Al-Nashif.

All reports from the Permanent Forum will be presented to the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council in September, as well as the new session of the UN General Assembly, which begins that month.

A fight for change

The Deputy High Commissioner said her office is continuing to look for ways to ensure “the meaningful, inclusive, and safe participation of people of African descent in public life is essential in the fight against systemic racism.”

Let youth lead, urges new advocacy campaign

As crises continue to unfold, there has been a lack of unity among world leaders in solving challenges for the “collective good”, the Youth Office said in a letter kickstarting the campaign.

The office says it deems it important to have leaders and institutions include young people in roles where their voices can be heard, or a common future might be at stake.

“Putting more diverse perspectives around the decision-making table is the only way to ensure we don’t continue to repeat past mistakes,” the office said in their open letter.

“By championing intergenerational solidarity and finding innovative solutions even in the most challenging of circumstances, young people remind us that a better world is still possible.”

The office says that hope and trust will be rebuilt and restored when significant youth engagement becomes the norm with the backing of “dedicated resourcing everywhere around the world.”

Summit of the Future

As the time for the landmark Summit of the Future in September at UN Headquarters draws nearer, the Youth Office is extending an open letter to young people across the globe where they can pen a message to world leaders.

During the summit, world leaders will focus on coming to an international consensus on safeguarding the future and tackling the best solution for reclaiming the path of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The office hopes there will be a positive and large response from youth around the world that will push leaders attending the summit to “commit to finally giving young people their rightful seat at the table.”

Youth and the UN

UN Secretary-General António Guterres supports the campaign’s efforts, saying, “I am absolutely committed to bringing young people into political decision-making; not just listening to your views, but acting on them.”

Just last year, at the UN’s annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, Mr. Guterres said that young people are key to building a better future, urging governments to consult more with young people – pointing to his UN policy brief, Our Common Agenda, that calls for “inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to better respond and deliver for the people and planet.”

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Felipe Paullier, also supports this advocacy campaign. He said the inclusion of youth in decision-making roles at all levels, “is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to address the ongoing conflicts, rising geopolitical tensions and increasing uncertainty facing our world today.”

ECOSOC 2024 Youth Forum

Conversations about this campaign and further discussions about how to create a better tomorrow will begin at this year’s three-day ECOSOC Youth Forum running from, April 16-18, involving a wide range of stakeholders including young people and senior politicians.

“We are watching. Don’t let us down”, is the overarching message to governments worldwide.

First Person: ‘I no longer amount to anything’ – Voices of the displaced in Haiti

He and others spoke to Eline Joseph, who works for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Port-au-Prince with a team which provides psychosocial support to people who have fled their homes because of the violence and insecurity.

She spoke to UN News about her working life and supporting her family.

“I have to say it has become more difficult to do my job as I am unable to move about freely and provide care to displaced people, especially those who are located in red zones, which are too dangerous to visit.

Daily life continues on the streets of Port au Prince, despite the insecurity.

The insecurity in Haiti is unprecedented – extreme violence, attacks by armed gangs, kidnappings. Nobody is safe. Everyone is at risk of becoming a victim. The situation can change from minute to minute, so we have to remain vigilant at all times.

Loss of identity

Recently, I met a community of farmers who were forced, due to gang activity, to leave their very fertile land on the hills outside Petionville [a neighbourhood in the southeast of Port-au-Prince] where they grew vegetables.

One of the leaders told me how they have lost their way of life, how they could no longer breath the fresh mountain air and live off the fruits of their labour. They are now living in a site for displaced people with people they do not know, with little access to water and proper sanitation and the same food every day.

He told me that he is not the person that he once was, that he has lost his identity, which he said was all he possessed in the world. He said he no longer amounts to anything.

I have heard some desperate stories from men who have been forced to witness the rape of their wives and daughters, some of whom were infected with HIV. These men could do nothing to protect their families, and many feel responsible for what happened. One man said that he felt worthless and was having suicidal thoughts.

Workers from a local UN NGO partner, UCCEDH, assess the needs of displaced people in downtown Port-au-Prince.

I have listened to children who wait for their fathers to come home, dreading that they may have been shot dead.

Psychological support

Working on the IOM team, we provide the psychological first-aid for people in distress, including one-to-one and group sessions. We also make sure they are in a safe place.

We offer relaxation sessions and recreational activities to help people unwind. Our approach is people-centred. We take into account their experience and introduce elements of Haitian culture, including proverbs and dances.

I have also organized counselling for older people. One woman came up to me after a session to thank me, saying that this was the first time she had been given the opportunity to put into words the pain and suffering she was experiencing.

Family life

I also have to think of my own family. I am forced to raise my children within the four walls of my home. I can’t even take them out for a walk, just to breathe fresh air.

When I have to leave the house for shopping or work, my five-year-old daughter looks me in the eyes and makes me promise that I will return home safe and sound. This makes me very sad.

My 10-year-old son told me one day, that if the president, who was murdered in his home, is not safe, then no-one is. And when he says that and tells me that he has heard that the bodies of murdered people are being left on the streets, I don’t really have an answer for him.

At home, we try and have a normal life. My children practice their musical instruments. Sometimes we will have a picnic on the veranda or have a movie or karaoke night.

With all my heart, I dream that Haiti will once again be a safe and stable country. I dream that displaced people can return to their homes. I dream that farmers can return to their fields.”

Mother makes 200km emergency trip across rural Madagascar to save baby

“I thought I was going to lose my baby and die on the journey to hospital.”

The chilling words of Samueline Razafindravao, who had to make the harrowing hours-long trip to the nearest specialist hospital in Ambovombe town in the Androy region of southern Madagascar after it became clear she might lose her child if she did not seek urgent medical attention.

Ms. Razafindravao spoke to UN News ahead of World Health Day, marked annually on 7 April.

In a country where many babies are born at home and where a traditional midwife may be paid a chicken to deliver a baby, the decision she had to make was a momentous one.

“I tried to give birth at home because I was worried about the expense of going to hospital,” she said, “but I knew I was having too many difficulties, so I went to the local health centre.”

Health carers there recognised that she needed a more sophisticated level of care and called an ambulance from the Androy Regional Referral Hospital, a journey across a region laced with unyielding roads.

“The baby was pushing a lot and then suddenly was not moving. I thought I was going to die and lose the baby as well.”

Lack of ambulances

It’s a rare lifesaving luxury and an unusual opportunity to be able to call an ambulance in Madagascar. But, then the Androy Regional Referral Hospital is perhaps not a typical hospital in what is one of the poorest regions in one of Africa’s poorest countries.

It has developed into a specialist hospital for a range of services, including maternal health, thanks in part to the support of United Nations agencies working in the country. The United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, provided one of the two ambulances the hospital has at its disposal.

The agency also supports a surgeon who carries out Caesarean sections as well as obstetric fistula surgery as well as two midwives who help with delivering babies and family planning. It has also provided incubators for premature babies and birthing kits for mothers.

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Solar panels provide a reliable source of electricity to the hospital.

UNFPA’s Dr. Sadoscar Hakizimana, a surgeon who has delivered dozens of babies by Caesarian section at the hospital, believes that a concentration of maternal health services is the key to saving more lives.

“Many pregnant women, perhaps 60 to 70 per cent, who arrive here have already lost their baby because they have sought medical help too late,” he said, “but we have a 100 per cent success rate of healthy births, either natural or Caesarian, for those mothers who arrive on time, as we have a range of care options we can offer them.”

All the care is free and is complemented by other services provided by different UN agencies. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is providing nutritional and medical care for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition as well as information sessions on good nutritional practices for parents.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing services for people with disabilities and those with mental health challenges.

And UN Development Programme (UNDP) has worked with the hospital to install solar panels to ensure that the equipment essential to keeping people alive is not rendered inoperable by the sometimes erratic power supply from the grid.

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Dr. Germaine Retofa helps a new mother to breastfeed.

Dr. Germaine Retofa, the acting Regional Director for Public Health in Androy, has overseen the integration of services at the hospital which has led, amongst other improvements, to a reduction in maternal and infant mortality as well as an increase in childhood vaccination.

“It makes sense to bring all these services together, as we can offer a more holistic approach to health care which may include maternal health services alongside nutrition advice and care for malnourished children,” she said. “It’s also easier to add additional services when we have this structure in place.”

The UN in Madagascar is focusing its resources on what it is calling “convergence zones”, which allows UN humanitarian and development-focused agencies to coordinate long-term interventions.

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Young mothers recover in the maternity ward of the Androy Regional Referral Hospital .

“In these convergence zones, it’s really important to underscore that development and humanitarian actors work in partnership,” said Natasha van Rijn, the Resident Representative for the UNDP in Madagascar.

“If we allow ourselves to look at the situation in Madagascar with all the complexity it deserves, then we have a chance of addressing the needs in all their complex multisectoral dimensions,” she added.

Back at Androy Regional Referral Hospital, Ms. Razafindravao and her now four-day-old baby girl, who was ultimately born by Caesarean section, are doing well on the maternity ward. As a young mother, she is learning how to breastfeed her baby, who she has named Fandresena, and before long, she’ll make the long 200 km journey back home, but this time not in an ambulance called in an emergency.

SDG 13: COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

Strengthen resilience and adaptation to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaption, impact reduction and early warning
Raise capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.

Haiti: Gangs have ‘more firepower than the police’

The consequences have plunged the Caribbean nation into an ongoing political and humanitarian crisis. Currently, there are “unprecedented levels of lawlessness”, UNODC’s regional representative Sylvie Bertrand told UN News.

From Russian AK-47s and United States-made AR-15s to Israeli Galil assault rifles, a spike in trafficking increasingly sophisticated weaponry has gripped Haiti since 2021, said the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its latest report on the illegal arms trade in Haiti.

Many of these illegal weapons are behind recent news reports of random sniper attacks, mass lootings, kidnappings and attacks on prisons to free thousands of inmates, which in turn has displaced more than 362,000 Haitians who are fleeing the violence.

Displaced people shelter in a boxing arena in downtown Port-au-Prince after fleeing their homes during gang attacks in August 2023.

More firepower than the police

Some gangs are using arms trafficking to fuel efforts to expand their reach and claiming strategic locations that are stymying efforts to halt the illegal entry of even more weapons, according to independent expert and author of Haiti’s Criminal Markets Robert Muggah.

“We have a very disconcerting and unsettling situation in Haiti, probably the worst I’ve seen in over 20 years of working in the country,” Mr. Muggah said.

Trafficked predominantly from the US, these “deadly arsenals” mean that gangs have “firepower that exceeds that of the Haitian National Police”, according to the UN panel of experts charged with monitoring sanctions the Security Council imposed on Haiti in 2022 amid worsening armed gang violence.

The problem is that as more weapons get in, the more gangs expand their control over such strategic points as ports and roads, making it even more difficult for authorities to prevent arms trafficking, UNODC’s Ms. Bertrand said.

Consequences on the ground

Some of the consequences of rampant gang violence are unfolding across Haiti.

UN-backed analysis found that almost half of Haiti’s 11.7 million citizens needs food assistance, and mass displacement continues as people flee to safety. Hospitals are reporting a sharp rise in gunshot deaths and injuries.

“The increasing number of weapons in circulation as well as the upgrading of arsenals is having an impact on the lethality and severity of the wounds being inflicted,” medical staff in Haiti told the UN panel of experts.

A fire burns as Haitians protest in 2022 over the government’s inability to provide security in the capital, Port-au-Prince. (file)

Mapping gang controlled areas

An estimated 150 to 200 armed groups now operate across Haiti, a country which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, said Mr. Muggah, who is an independent expert on security and development.

Right now, around 23 gangs operate in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, have divided into two large coalitions: G-Pèp, led by Gabriel Jean Pierre, also called Ti Gabriel, and the G9 Family and Allies, led by Jimmy Chérizier, known as Barbecue.

In recent months, the two rival factions joined forces “in coordinated attacks” targeting the airport, the National Palace, the National Theatre, hospitals, schools, police stations, customs offices and ports, “effectively forcing their will and expanding their territory”, he explained.

“Gangs are in fact controlling very strategic areas of the capital and the main roads connecting Port-au-Prince to the ports and to the land borders as well as coastal towns and areas, where we see a lot of the trafficking happening,” Mr. Muggah said.

A burnt-out car serves as a barricade on a street in Port-au-Prince. With over 150 gangs operating in and around the country, all roads access in and out of Haiti’s capital are now under some gang control.

The demand: Large-calibre and ‘ghost guns’

Arms trafficking is a very lucrative business, even in small quantities, as the demand for weapons is increasing and prices are high, the panel of experts found.

For example, a 5.56mm semi-automatic rifle costing a few hundred dollars in the US is regularly sold for $5,000 to $8,000 in Haiti.

Findings further documented the presence of “ghost guns”, which are privately manufactured with relative ease by purchasing parts online, thus avoiding the control processes that apply to factory-made firearms. These weapons are not serialized and are therefore untraceable.

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Firearms confiscated during border checks.

The supply: US sources and routes

A small number of Haitian gangs are highly specialised in the acquisition, storage and distribution of weapons and ammunition, according to the UNODC report.

Most of the firearms and ammunition trafficked into Haiti, whether directly or via another country, originate in the United States, said UNODC’s Ms. Bertrand, adding that the weapons and bullets are typically purchased from licensed retail outlets, gun shows or pawn shops and shipped by sea.

Suspicions have also emerged of illegal operations involving unregistered flights and small airports along the south Florida coast and the presence of clandestine airstrips in Haiti, she added.

Trafficking crackdowns

UNODC has identified four trafficking routes using Haiti’s porous borders, two from Florida via cargo ships to Port-au-Prince and to the north and west coasts through Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas and others via container ships, fishing vessels, barges or small aircrafts arriving at the northern city of Cap Haitien and by land crossings from the Dominican Republic.

Most seizures made by US authorities have been conducted in Miami, and even though control agencies doubled the number of searches in 2023, authorities sometimes do not find illicit arms and ammunition, often hidden among tightly stacked packages of all shapes and sizes, according to UNODC.

To make “a significant dent in in the flow of arms in the country”, the UN agency is training “control units” in ports and airports comprising police and customs officers and the Coast Guard to identify and inspect high-risk containers and cargo and is working to facilitate their use of radar and other critical tools, Ms. Bertrand said.

People who fled their homes due to violence are now living in a school hosted in a school in Port-au-Prince.

International community must ‘step up’

But, security needs to be stabilised to improve Haiti’s ability to monitor and control all its borders, she said, adding that “law enforcement officers are very busy trying to contain the crisis in the streets of Port-au-Prince.”

Regarding the forthcoming UN Security Council-mandated multinational security support mission, Ms. Bertrand said it will be essential to “support the very courageous work that is already been being done by the police”.

Mr. Muggah agreed, saying that strengthening the Haitian National Police is “an absolute priority”.

“In a geopolitical environment where many of the actors are in some cases paralysed to respond”, he warned, the international community has an “incredibly important responsibility” to support Haiti in this time of critical need “because a bad situation could get dramatically worse if we don’t step up”.

Stories from the UN Archive: Greatest of All Time fights for peace

“Here’s a little Black boy from Louisville, Kentucky, sitting in the United Nations talking to presidents of the world, why? Because I’m a good boxer,” he said at a press conference at UN Headquarters in 1979. “I needed boxing to get here. So, my purpose is to use boxing to get to people.”

Devoting most of his time outside the boxing ring to the pursuit of peace, Mr. Ali had earlier delivered a statement at the UN the year before to address the UN Special Committee against Apartheid in South Africa.

From the 1970s until his death in 2016, the United States Olympic gold medallist floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, as he often aptly described himself, both inside and outside the boxing ring.

Listen to our Podcast Classic episode below.

God, boxing and fame

Over his career, Mr. Ali supported relief and development initiatives. He hand-delivered food and medical supplies to hospitals, street children and orphanages in Africa and Asia.

In a press conference at UN Headquarters in 1979, Mr. Ali spoke about God, boxing and using his fame for a good cause. The son of a sign painter, he also talked about painting for peace.

Listen to the full press conference here.

UN Photo/Ky Chung

Muhammad Ali (centre) attends a 2004 ceremony to mark the International Day of Peace at UN Headquarters. (file)

Giving back to fight African drought

Mr. Ali also visited UN Headquarters in 1975, ahead of his title fight against Chuck Wepner, announcing that the promoters would give 50 cents from the proceeds of each ticket sold to African drought relief.

At the time, promoter Don King said he expected an audience of 500,000 to a million via closed-circuit TV. The money was divided equally between the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Africare, a Black aid organization, to help dig wells in Senegal and Niger.

UN Messenger of Peace

Known worldwide as “the Greatest”, three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer Muhammad Ali was designated UN Messenger of Peace in 1998.

Bringing people together by preaching “healing” to everyone irrespective of race, religion or age, over the years Mr. Ali was a relentless advocate for people in need and a significant humanitarian actor in the developing world.

Upon his death in 2016, then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN was grateful “to have benefitted from the life and work of one of the past century’s great humanitarians and advocates for understanding and peace”.

On #ThrowbackThursday, UN News is showcasing pivotal moments across the UN’s past. From the infamous and nearly-forgotten to world leaders and global superstars, stay tuned for a taste of the UN Audiovisual Library’s 49,400 hours of video recordings and 18,000 hours of audio chronicling.

Visit UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive playlist here and our accompanying series here. Join us next Thursday for another dive into history.

Raises risks for asylum seekers

New bill sets ‘a perilous precedent’

Progressively restrictive laws

Risk of refoulement

Widespread fighting

Forced conscription by military

Alarm bells ringing

Poverty, inequality and abuse

Ensure intrinsic rights

‘Mother Earth peoples’

Towards full participation

‘Formidable convening power’

Decade should extend

A fight for change

Summit of the Future

Youth and the UN

ECOSOC 2024 Youth Forum

Loss of identity

Psychological support

Family life

Lack of ambulances

SDG 13: COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

More firepower than the police

Consequences on the ground

Mapping gang controlled areas

The demand: Large-calibre and ‘ghost guns’

The supply: US sources and routes

Trafficking crackdowns

International community must ‘step up’

God, boxing and fame

Giving back to fight African drought

UN Messenger of Peace

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