OHCHR works with the judiciary, the police, the Ministry of Justice, the legislative and local state authorities in order to strengthen the effectiveness of international human rights mechanisms and the progressive development of human rights law and standards. Moreover, OHCHR enforces and promotes the Mission’s engagement with the UNCT on the application of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP), guiding the monitoring and response activities with regard to human rights, in order to ensure an institutionalized and concerted approach between MINUSTAH and other entities of the UN system that support and collaborate with non-UN security forces.
OHCHR engages in monitoring, public reporting and capacity-development initiatives with national and local authorities, including the national human rights Institution as well as with civil society organizations. OHCHR purpose is also to mainstream human rights-based approaches with UN partners. In June 2016, the integration of Child Protection Unit of MINUSTAH into the Human Rights Section has allowed for a better coordination in this area.
OHCHR provides technical assistance to the Government of Haiti, especially through the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights, in ensuring compliance and engagement with United Nations human rights instruments. OHCHR also advocates for the delegation of a human rights portfolio and a counterpart on a ministerial level and for the development of a national plan of action on human rights.
OHCHR continues its support and close cooperation with the country’s national human rights institution, the Office de la Protection du Citoyen (the ombudsman figure) aiming at increasing its institutional capacity to collect, process and analyze information as well as to prepare reports, including reports to human rights treaty bodies and mechanisms.
In Haiti, OHCHR reports on State violations of civil and political rights, such as the right to life and physical integrity, on illegal arrests and the excessive use of force by police officers. OHCHR also looks the realization of social and economic rights, especially access to education for minors and adequate housing for people who had been displaced since the 2010 earthquake and those affected by hurricane Matthew in October 2016.
OHCHR remains fully engaged in monitoring the situation of human rights of people affected by hurricane Matthew, which caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake. Nearly 2 million people have been affected, with more than 1.4 million in need of humanitarian aid. OHCHR supports the Directorate for Civil Protection (Direction de la protection civile) in facilitating and following up the implementation of protection principles and standards regarding the emergency response to the Hurricane. This collaboration allows for coordination with the regional focal points in the South, Nippes and Grand’Anse Departments in providing humanitarian assistance, especially to vulnerable groups such as women, children and disabled people.
Finally, Haiti has been struggling with a democratic transition between elected governments. After the 2015 presidential elections had been cancelled due to violence and alleged irregularities in the electoral process, a new consultation took place on 20 November 2016. In order to monitor the prevailing human rights situation during the electoral period, OHCHR deployed human rights officers in all of the ten departments of the country. | 