SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.N. Security Council is scheduling a vote Monday on a resolution that would authorize a one-year deployment of an international force to help Haiti quell a surge in gang violence and restore security so the troubled Caribbean nation can hold long-delayed elections.
The U.S.-drafted resolution obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday welcomes Kenya’s offer to lead the multinational security force. It makes clear this would be a non-U.N. force funded by voluntary contributions.
The resolution would authorize the force for one year, with a review after nine months.
The force would be allowed to provide operational support to Haiti’s National Police, which is underfunded and under resourced, with only some 10,000 active officers for a country of more than 11 million people.
The resolution said the force would help built capacity of local police “through the planning and conduct of joint security support operations as it works to counter gangs and improve security conditions in Haiti.”
The force would also help secure “critical infrastructure sites and transit locations such as the airport, ports, and key intersections.”
The resolution authorizes the force to “adopt urgent temporary measures on an exceptional basis” to prevent the loss of life and help police maintain public safety.
The resolution would require that the leaders of the mission inform the U.N. Security Council on the mission’s goals, rules of engagement, financial needs and other matters before the full deployment.
If approved, it would mark the first time a force has been deployed to Haiti since the U.N. approved a stabilization mission in June 2004 that was marred by a sexual abuse scandal and the introduction of cholera. That mission ended in October 2017.
Concerns also have surrounded the proposed Kenyan-led mission, with critics noting that police in the East Africa country have long been accused of using torture, deadly force and other abuses.
The resolution stresses that all those participating in the proposed mission need to take necessary action to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse as well as vet all personnel. It also demands swift investigations if allegations of misconduct are made.
In addition, the resolution warns that those involved in the mission must adopt wastewater management and other environmental control to prevent the introduction and spread of water-borne diseases, such as cholera.
It wasn’t immediately clear how big the force would be if approved, although Kenya’s government has previously proposed sending 1,000 police officers. In addition, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda have pledged to send personnel.
Last month, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden promised to provide logistics and $100 million to support a Kenyan-led force.
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Lederer reported from Los Angeles.