Haiti - Colonialism, Occupation and the UN

The withdrawal of the UN on 15th October 2019 ends 15 years of continuous UN peacekeeping in Haiti.

The UN has only been the most recent foreign intervention Haiti has witnessed in its turbulent history that included colonialization by France in 1697, the Haitian Revolution and War of Independence, and the first occupation by the US from 1915-1934, as well as a succession of home-grown but internationally supported autocratic leaders.

All foreign interventions have left legacies in the Haitian political, economic, and social structures, entrenching inequality and injustice in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The UN Stabilization Mission MINUSTAH was deployed to Haiti in 2004 to support the reform of the domestic security sector, mainly the police, support democracy, and increase basic security.

Just before the withdrawal and transition to a non-peacekeeping UN presence in October 2019, Haiti has seen almost continuous riots on the streets, shootings in front of the parliament, and politically motivated murders of journalists. Voter turnout for the presidential elections in 2010 and 2016 were estimated at 22.5% and 28% respectively. What does this legacy mean for Haiti’s future?

Programme:

Panel Debate: Prof Charles Forsdick, Dr Xavier Mathieu, Dr Birte Gippert, Dr Robert Knox

Join us for the following wine reception and informal discussions with the presenters.