Venue: Church Centre for the UN, 777 UN Plaza (1^st Avenue/44^th Street), 2^nd floor

 

Haitians are still struggling to recover from the earthquake that wrecked the island two years ago, but longer-term problems loom large. The UN's peacekeeping force, MINUSTAH, deployed in Haiti since 2004, has an increasingly tarnished record. Negligently treated wastes from UN peacekeepers introduced cholera into Haiti, triggering an epidemic that has infected half a million Haitians and killed more than 7,000 since October 2010. Several cases of sexual abuses by peacekeepers have also come to light. Equally troubling is the highly politicized nature of the UN mission, and its inappropriate use of armed force.

 

Haitians have taken to the streets to call for an end to the peacekeeping mission. Human rights organizations are demanding accountability, and some 5,000 cholera victims have submitted a petition to the UN demanding compensation.

 

This event aims to inform the UN community about the cholera epidemic in Haiti and to reflect on the broader role of the UN peacekeeping force. It will open with a screening of a short documentary on the cholera case. A light lunch will be served.

 

New Media Advocacy Project

Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (Haiti)

 

M.D.

 

 

Organizers: Global Policy Forum, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti

Co-sponsors: Center for Constitutional Rights, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, Mennonite Central Committee, Presbyterian Ministry at the UN, United Methodist Women