Thank you, President. I thank SRSG Salvador, Ms Waly and Ms Hassan for their powerful briefings today. BINUH and their local partners continue to do vital work in Haiti in the toughest of circumstances. I also welcome the presence of the Foreign Ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic at our meeting, and the representatives of Kenya and Saint Lucia.
President, as we've heard from the briefers, the people of Haiti are suffering terribly. Killing, kidnapping and severe restriction of movement continue. There are disturbing accounts of the widespread use of sexual violence, including collective rape, against women and girls by gangs to instil fear in the population. Gangs forcibly recruited children and use access to food and water as a form of control.
We call on all political actors to put aside their differences for the common interest of the Haitian people and agree on a roadmap that commits all parties to working towards a return to sound, long-term governance. This is the only way to ensure stability and safety for Haitians for the long term. The UK welcomes support from the international community for these talks, particularly efforts from the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group.
The United Kingdom looks forward to the rapid deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission, and we thank Kenya for their leadership in stepping up to this task. We also welcome the engagement of Member States from CARICOM and beyond in this multinational effort to help the people of Haiti.
President, we recently welcomed the Council action in December which agreed new sanctions targeting those responsible for armed criminal violence in Haiti. We stand ready to work with all Council members to expand this list as a matter of urgency.
I thank you.
