Security Council open debate on “Poverty, underdevelopment, and conflict: implications for the maintenance of international peace and security”

Statement on behalf of Canada

New York, 19 June 2025

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Canada applauds Guyana for its leadership of the Security Council this month and for initiating this important discussion.

As many other statements affirmed, any effective UN response requires a “whole of UN” approach.

Let us look at a specific example: Haiti.

Just over 1,500 miles from where we sit, the population of Port-au-Prince are suffering immensely from a protracted and multifaceted crisis.

They are being killed, exploited, raped, kidnapped, and children are forcibly recruited by armed gangs. They are malnourished and facing famine conditions. They are fleeing their homes due to violence. Nearly 1.3 million people are now internally displaced - the highest number of people displaced by violence ever recorded in the country.

Addressing the security situation in the country must be of utmost priority and we are looking to this Council to respond swiftly to Haiti’s call for further security assistance.

At the same time, robust support is required to address immediate humanitarian and protection needs in parallel with sustainable development to support economic recovery, end impunity and restore the rule of law, and rebuild livelihoods.

Of the $908.2M required under this year’s Humanitarian Response Plan, only 8% has been received. To compound this dire crisis, Haiti is entering the 2025 hurricane season and UN partners do not have the prepositioned food stocks or cash liquidity to mount a swift humanitarian response in the case of an extreme weather event.

As the ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti has underscored, efforts are also needed to address root causes of instability such as poverty, inequality, and exclusion through sustainable development initiatives and community resilience programmes.

The importance of supporting peacebuilding efforts in Haiti, including through engagement with the Peacebuilding Commission, cannot be overstated.

It is essential that the Haitian authorities are supported in establishing safe reintegration protocols for children associated with armed gangs, providing shelter and extending child protection mechanisms to facilitate recovery and productive opportunities.

We need to mobilize the UN system alongside other partners -- including international financial institutions, the private sector, philanthropic organisations, and innovative funding mechanisms -- to address the complex challenges facing the country. 

A local approach to strengthen communities and government institutions is critical for stability and sustainable development of Haiti. Haitian women and youth, who are agents of change, must be engaged in shaping and implementing solutions.