UNITED NATIONS Secretary General Kofi Annan has summed up the situation in Haiti in level-headed terms that point to a new approach that needs careful and dispassionate study.
His statement on the crisis, published in Wednesday's Gleaner, sets out developments in Haiti in the historical perspective of a country which has just celebrated its bicentenary and emancipation from slavery and colonialism; passed through an early 20th century period as an American protectorate; and the UN's own intervention in 1994.
From all that, any proposition that Haiti should be left alone to its own devices "is attractive only in the abstract," the Secrertary General says. "Haiti is clearly unable to sort itself out and the effect of leaving it alone would be continued or worsening chaos."
We agree with Mr. Kofi Annan's assessment and accept the proposition that there are many lessons to be learnt from the past attempts to bring some semblance of viable government administration to the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
It should be obvious, as he says, that no one organisation or international partner can go it alone. The declaration therefore that the UN must work closely with CARICOM and the Organisation of American States(OAS) to deal with what ails Haiti at every level - economic, social, political and other factors that foment instability - should be welcomed.
From this standpoint the current diplomatic skirmishing about the legality of Mr. Aristide's ouster may be irrelevant and pointless. The greater urgency is to strive for consensus for a UN-led intervention that must stay in Haiti for the long haul.
The Secretary General's assessment should be used as a statement of intent that should be embraced by all the stakeholders under
the umbrella of the United Nations. The objective can be no quick
fix but a sustained resolve to create a viable society and civil
administration.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
