Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has stressed the need to strengthen security and protect voters ahead of the December general elections.

“There is a people. A people who can wait no longer. A people waiting to regain security, to return home to work, to send their children to school, and to freely choose their leaders,” Mr Fils-Aimé said during a special UN meeting on the future of security in Haiti on Thursday.

Haiti has delayed elections since 2019 primarily due to extreme insecurity, widespread gang violence and deep political and logistical instability. The elections had been scheduled for December this year.

“Haiti’s next government must come through the ballot box. Voting restores legitimacy, and legitimacy paves the way for stability. Today, the electoral process is well underway. Electoral operations have been launched. Citizens are registering. Political organisations have also been certified,” he added.

The prime minister noted that security depends on the country’s collective ability to combat the illicit flows that fuel violence, including weapons, ammunition, trafficking, and transnational criminal networks.

The meeting also addressed the need to ensure that children, including those recruited or associated with gangs, receive adequate protection and support.

“Protecting children from violence, from gang recruitment, while providing safe pathways for children associated with armed groups, must be a priority across our efforts,” he said.

While acknowledging international support as important in addressing the crisis, the prime minister stressed that they wanted a Haiti-centric response to ensure a more sustainable peace.

“Haiti must ultimately rest on the capabilities of the Haitian state. The real test is whether we can hold those gains and translate them into lasting change for the Haitian population. When an area becomes accessible again, the state and basic services need to follow: police and local authorities, but also schools, justice institutions and economic activity,” he added.

Amar Bendjama, president of the UN Economic and Social Council, also noted that children need access to protection, education, essential services, and opportunities to build a safe and secure future for themselves.

Armed gangs have continued to perpetrate widespread violence in the Caribbean state, committing crimes including regular murder, rape and kidnapping of civilians.

According to the UN, around 6.4 million people require humanitarian assistance in the country and almost 1.5 million have been displaced.

The meeting expressed support for extending the mandate of a UN Security Council-backed force, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), to neutralise armed gangs, protect vital infrastructure, and allow humanitarian aid in the Caribbean country.