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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 700 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
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.

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;
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.
                                 <all>
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