Join us on October 31 at 3 PM in Coble Hall, Room 306 for the talk titled "La transition qui n'en finit pas: Haiti’s Ongoing Journey to Democracy and Stability." Our guest speaker, Valerio Bosco, Senior Political Affairs Officer and Deputy Chief of the Political Division at the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, will provide a critical review of international, regional, and sub-regional efforts in crisis management. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Haiti’s complex transition.
About the talk:
The presentation will provide a brief overview of the key challenges faced by Haiti since its early transition to democracy in 1986 , by reflecting the bilateral, regional and international efforts to support security and political stability in the country over the past three decades ( "Uphold Democracy", 1994; MINUSTAH, 2004, in which countries from Latin America played a key role; Organization of American States, OAS - Electoral observation mission, 2015; MINUJUSTH, 2017). In 2019, the United Nations Security Council's decision to further readjust the mandate and UN presence in Haiti with the establishment of a Special Political Mission (SPM), coincided with a gradual but seemingly irreversible deterioration of the security and political situation. Amidst corruption scandals, increasing gang violence, widespread insecurity, massive crimes, socio-economic emergency, and political instability, the tragic assassination of the elected President Jovenel Moise in July 2021 plunged the country into an unprecedented multidimensional crisis. With no elected authorities in place - the latest elections having occurred in 2016 - the restoration of democratically elected institutions remains a key challenge as the insecurity and gang violence have reached a new peak and undermined efforts to restore constitutional order. Despite the recent and challenging deployment of the first elements of the Non-UN Multinational Security Support Mission led by Kenya & authorized by UNSC resolution 2699 (2023), gang groups still control approximatively over 80 per cent of the capital and continue terrorizing the Haitian population, as shown by the recent massacre perpetrated in the Artibonite department on 4 October. Meanwhile, with CARICOM, UN and other partners support, the new transitional authorities and Haitian stakeholders strive to chart a consensual path to elections. The presentation posits that a) reviewing achievements and shortcomings of past and current regional/international initiatives; b) fostering nationally owned political and security solutions; and c) maintaining cohesive regional and international engagement are essential to avoid a repetition of "the mistakes of the past" and support at best Haitian-led efforts to build a stable and prosperous country. Further, the presentation will briefly assess the complexities of Haiti’s political party system, the role of civil society and the private sector in Haiti, the diaspora's contribution to the current transition, and the need for increased women and youth participation in the political process.
About Valerio Bosco:
Valerio joined the United Nations in 2008. As Political Affairs Officer he worked in UN peacekeeping missions, special political missions and regional offices in several conflict and post-conflict countries, including Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Somalia (UNSOM), Ethiopia (UN Office to the African Union; Regional Economic Commission for Africa), and Haiti (MINUSTAH, BINUH). He holds a PhD in history of international relations from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and he is member of the Italian Journalists Association. He is author of the book " L''amministrazione Nixon e l'Italia: tra distensione europea e crisi mediterranee, 1968-1971", and wrote several articles and essays, both in English and Italian, on international relations, Italian and European politics, Italian foreign policy, UN peacekeeping, and UN-regional organizations cooperation in crisis management.