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| LOCATION Haiti |
HEADQUARTERS Port-au-Prince |
DURATION August to November 1997 |
MAP Deployment map |
| SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND HEAD OF MISSION Enrique ter Horst (Venezuela) | |
| FORCE
COMMANDER
General Robin Gagnon (Canada) |
POLICE
COMMISSIONER Colonel Jean-Claude Laparra (France) |
| FUNCTION To assist the Government of Haiti by supporting and contributing to the professionalization of the Haitian National Police (HNP). Tasks of UNTMIH's police element included training HNP specialized units in crowd control, the rapid reaction force and Palace security, areas considered to be of distinct importance. Once reinforced, these units would considerably improve HNP's effectiveness while it pursued its own development. UNTMIH and the United Nations Development Programme continued preparation of an assistance programme to provide HNP with law enforcement expertise. Tasks of UNTMIH's military security element included ensuring, under the authority of the Force Commander, the safety and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel implementing the mandate. The Special Representative continued to coordinate the activities of the United Nations system to promote institution-building, national reconciliation and economic rehabilitation. |
| AUTHORIZED STRENGTH
250 civilian police personnel and 50 military personnel (A number of additional military personnel, provided on the basis of voluntary funding, were also attached to UNTMIH's military component.) |
| FINANCING Method of financing: Assessments in respect of a Special Account As of October 1997, revised budget estimates for the period 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998 amounted to $20.6 million (gross) and related to maintaining UNTMIH's predecessor mission UNSMIH as well as maintaining and liquidating UNTMIH. |
| CONTRIBUTORS OF CIVILIAN POLICE
PERSONNEL Argentina, Benin, Canada, France, India, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, United States |
| CONTRIBUTORS OF MILITARY
PERSONNEL
Canada, Pakistan |
| BACKGROUND UNTMIH was the third in the series of United Nations peacekeeping operations in Haiti. It was established by Security Council resolution 1123 (1997) of 30 July 1997 for a single four-month period ending on 30 November 1997. The first in the series of peacekeeping operations in Haiti was the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH), from September 1993 to June 1996. UNMIH was effectively suspended from October 1993 but was reactivated in March 1995 once a secure and stable environment had been established by the Multinational Force (September 1994--March 1995). UNMIH was succeeded in July 1996 by the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH), whose mandate expired on 31 July 1997. UNTMIH was established on the basis of a July 1997 report by the Secretary-General to the Security Council (S/1997/564). In the report, the Secretary-General stated that Haiti had taken significant strides forward. Nevertheless, the country continued to face daunting political and economic challenges. The basic consensus among Haitians for the reforms required to strengthen democratic institutions, generate economic growth and create jobs had yet to be built. Progress had also been made with regard to the establishment and training of the new police force. However, progress was slow, and the Secretary-General shared the view of Haiti's political leaders that, without steady and long-term support from the international community, the force might not be able to cope with serious incidents, risking deterioration in the security situation. The Secretary-General shared the views expressed in November 1996 by the President of Haiti, Mr. Réné Préval, that a full 12 months would be necessary for the Haitian National Police (HNP) to be able to ensure a secure and stable environment without international support. Against that background, the Secretary-General recommended that the Security Council maintain United Nations support of HNP for a further period of four months, that is from July through November 1997. Were this to be agreed, the Security Council could establish a new mission to be known as the United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH). The new mission would comprise both military and civilian police elements and would continue to support the Haitian authorities in the further professionalization of HNP. The Secretary-General's Special Representative would continue to coordinate activities in Haiti of the United Nations system related to institution-building, national reconciliation and economic rehabilitation. |
| FOR FURTHER DETAILS, see Reports of the Secretary-General to the Security Council |
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