UN Human Rights Council 63: UK Statement on the Interactive Dialogue on Haiti
The UK expressed deep concern over escalating violence in Haiti, citing UN data on killings, injuries, and grave violations against children, and called for urgent action on protection, accountability, and child-focused disarmament efforts.
The United Kingdom reiterated its deep concern regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in Haiti, highlighting a continued escalation in violence documented by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Between April and June of this year, BINUH reported 1,408 people killed and 656 injured, with women and children identified as particularly vulnerable to ongoing abuses.
The UN verified 2,088 grave violations against children in 2025, including the recruitment of 892 children by armed groups, alongside 796 victims of gang-related rape. These figures underscore the urgent need for protection measures and accountability to address the crisis affecting civilians, especially the most vulnerable populations.
The UK emphasized that children associated with gangs must be treated as victims rather than perpetrators, stressing the importance of effective disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) programs. Such efforts should include safe pathways out of gangs, psychosocial support, education, and sustainable reintegration into communities.
To support these objectives, the UK announced $7.5 million in funding for the Human Rights Compliance Mechanism for the Gang Suppression Force, to be delivered by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The UK also posed questions to the Government of Haiti on concrete steps to resource and implement nationwide DDR and ensure the safe release and reintegration of children linked to armed groups.