[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3816-S3817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 700--SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND 
  INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TO FACILITATE A SECURITY ENVIRONMENT THAT IS 
 CONDUCIVE TO HOLDING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN HAITI AND PROMOTING A 
                DURABLE RETURN TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

  Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. Kaine) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 700

       Whereas, on July 7, 2021, Jovenel Moise, the former 
     President of Haiti, was assassinated in his home, aggravating 
     a complex and dynamic political crisis which has debilitated 
     the capacity of the country;
       Whereas, in the absence of a functioning and democratically 
     elected central government in Haiti, criminal gangs have 
     flourished, often with the backing of the country's political 
     and economic elites, creating a security vacuum and 
     humanitarian crisis that has exposed Haitians to the 
     overwhelming threat of indiscriminate violence, including 
     rampant gender-based violence;
       Whereas widespread gang violence in Haiti has culminated in 
     killings and kidnappings of civilians, including at least 1 
     United States citizen;
       Whereas criminal gangs have seized control of up to 80 
     percent of Port-au-Prince and critical infrastructure, 
     including health care providers, schools, and transit 
     facilities;
       Whereas, according to the International Organization for 
     Migration, more than 350,000 Haitians are internally 
     displaced, with gang violence accounting for 93 percent of 
     such displacement;
       Whereas, according to the United Nations, 3,334 Haitians 
     were victims of intentional homicide between January 1 and 
     September 30, 2023, while the projected homicide rate per 
     100,000 people doubled compared to the 2022 homicide rate;
       Whereas gangs in Haiti have routinely engaged in kidnaping 
     for ransom, abducting 1,787 people between January 1 and 
     September 30, 2023;
       Whereas, as of March 2024, there were 79,411 suspected 
     cases of cholera in Haiti and the risk of a cholera outbreak 
     has been exacerbated by the gangs' control of critical 
     infrastructure, including hospitals and health clinics;
       Whereas endemic corruption in Haiti, which ranked 171 out 
     of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2022 
     Corruption Perceptions Index, which is worse than the 2017 
     ranking of 157 out of 180, has entrenched criminal gangs, 
     deprived Haitians of economic prosperity, and presents 
     significant obstacles to lasting government reform;
       Whereas the United Nations Office for the Coordination of 
     Humanitarian Affairs issued an appeal for $674,000,000 in 
     February 2024 to meet the needs of an estimated 3,600,000 
     Haitians who require humanitarian assistance (12 percent more 
     Haitians than were supported in 2023) and are highly 
     vulnerable as a result of the worsening security situation 
     and near-collapse of basic services in Haiti;
       Whereas, according to the World Food Programme, 4,950,000 
     Haitians were food insecure as of September 2023, and 68 
     percent of the country's population had insufficient food 
     consumption as of March 2024;

[[Page S3817]]

       Whereas the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has 
     documented that illicit firearms and drug trafficking from 
     the United States to Haiti have, in part, fueled the cycle of 
     violence across Haiti;
       Whereas on June 25, 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities 
     Act (Public Law 117-159) made gun trafficking a Federal 
     offense and granted the government new authorities to hold 
     firearms smugglers accountable and to prosecute perpetrators;
       Whereas Homeland Security Investigations, in coordination 
     with the Department of State, has utilized these new 
     authorities to set up a Transnational Criminal Intelligence 
     Unit in Haiti to work with the Haitian National Police to 
     investigate and prosecute transnational crimes, including 
     firearms and ammunition smuggling, human trafficking, and 
     transnational gang activity;
       Whereas, in July 2023, the Department of Justice appointed 
     the first United States Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms 
     Prosecutions to ensure collaboration with the Department of 
     State and investigate gun-related crimes in the region;
       Whereas, on November 16, 2023, Haiti and the Bureau of 
     Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives signed a memorandum 
     of understanding to facilitate cooperation through the eTrace 
     system, an investigative tool used by the bureau to track 
     firearms used in criminal activity, including their purchase 
     history and manufacturer or importer;
       Whereas the interim government of Prime Minister Ariel 
     Henry was not duly elected to office and lacked the 
     constitutional or public legitimacy to unilaterally organize 
     free and fair elections;
       Whereas the expiration of the terms of the majority of the 
     members of the Parliament of Haiti on January 10, 2023, 
     without elected officials to succeed them, led to the 
     suspension of the legislature's activities and have left the 
     Haitian people without a functioning government;
       Whereas, in February 2023, the interim government appointed 
     members to the High Transition Council, which is charged with 
     facilitating a roadmap for eventual democratic elections, but 
     progress was hampered by gang violence and a failure by Prime 
     Minister Henry to reach political consensus with major 
     opposition parties;
       Whereas, on October 6, 2022, Prime Minister Henry and 18 
     members of the Council of Ministers issued an appeal to the 
     international community for security assistance and technical 
     support to assist the Haitian National Police's efforts to 
     combat gang violence;
       Whereas, on October 2, 2023, the United Nations Security 
     Council overwhelmingly voted to adopt Resolution 2699/2023, 
     which authorizes the formation and deployment of a 
     Multinational Security Support (referred to in this preamble 
     as the ``MSS'') mission to re-establish security and the 
     Government of Kenya has subsequently agreed to lead the MSS 
     mission in close coordination with the Government of Haiti;
       Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699/
     2023 authorizes the MSS mission to provide operational 
     support to the Haitian National Police--
       (1) to support the provision of security for critical 
     infrastructure and transit locations;
       (2) to help to ensure unhindered and safe access to 
     humanitarian aid; and
       (3) to build security conditions that are conducive to 
     holding free and fair elections in Haiti;

       Whereas the Government of Kenya has volunteered to send 
     1,000 police officers to support the MSS mission and the 
     Kenyan parliament has subsequently voted to approve this 
     action;
       Whereas, on April 25, 2024, Ariel Henry resigned as prime 
     minister and a 9-member transitional presidential council, 
     composed of representatives from political parties and civil 
     society, was sworn in and charged with--
       (1) selecting a new prime minister;
       (2) appointing members to an electoral commission to 
     facilitate the election; and
       (3) swearing in a new president by February 7, 2026;

       Whereas Caribbean Community (commonly known as ``CARICOM'') 
     member states are vital partners in supporting the MSS 
     mission and Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, 
     Barbados, Benin, Chad, Guyana, and Jamaica have each publicly 
     committed to contributing personnel or resources to the MSS 
     mission;
       Whereas the MSS mission is not a substitute for a 
     sustainable, professional, and well-equipped Haitian National 
     Police that protects and serves the entirety of the Haitian 
     people;
       Whereas Congress, through the passage of the Haiti 
     Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency 
     Initiative Act (division V of Public Law 117-103), has 
     previously directed the Secretary of State to prioritize the 
     protection of human rights and anti-corruption efforts in 
     Haiti and urges the Department of State to integrate these 
     priorities into oversight and accountability mechanisms for 
     the MSS mission;
       Whereas a Haitian-led, inclusive, and sustainable political 
     solution is the only path forward for the country to restore 
     security, the rule of law, democratic institutions, and 
     economic stability; and
       Whereas the international community and those contributing 
     to the MSS mission must ensure that--
       (1) the MSS mission does not inadvertently support 
     nondemocratic actors who would attempt to seize on improved 
     security conditions to entrench their own power or perpetuate 
     instability; and
       (2) lessons learned from previous international missions in 
     Haiti, including the need to promote respect for human rights 
     and promote accountability, are applied: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the urgent need to restore peace and 
     security and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Haiti as 
     part of an overarching strategy--
       (A) to promote a return to democratic governance in the 
     country; and
       (B) to ensure that Haitians enjoy their right to liberty 
     and security of person;
       (2) supports a MSS mission, as authorized by the United 
     Nations Security Council on October 2, 2023, which 
     adequately--
       (A) complies with international law, including 
     international human rights law, as applicable;
       (B) takes all necessary steps to protect civilians and 
     respect the rule of law;
       (C) maintains the popular support of the Haitian people;
       (D) consults with and incorporates feedback from impacted 
     populations, with attention to vulnerable communities, 
     including women, children, and the economically 
     disadvantaged; and
       (E) is bound by strict time constraints and is subject to 
     oversight and renewal by the United Nations Security Council 
     in specified increments;
       (3) applauds the assistance and other support the 
     Department of State and the Department of Defense have 
     provided to secure intelligence, airlift, communications, and 
     medical support for the MSS mission;
       (4) commends the support offered to-date by CARICOM and 
     international partners, including Antigua and Barbuda, the 
     Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Guyana, and Jamaica, which 
     is necessary to operationalize the MSS mission;
       (5) calls on other members of the international community 
     to pledge financial assistance, logistical and operational 
     support, and personnel to the MSS mission to the greatest 
     extent possible;
       (6) endorses international election monitoring in Haiti in 
     support of free and fair elections; and
       (7) encourages additional assistance from the United States 
     and the international community to address Haiti's 
     humanitarian needs, including through additional 
     contributions to the United Nations Humanitarian Appeal for 
     fiscal year 2024 and for subsequent fiscal years.

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