“Only such an approach will permit the consolidation of stability and the full availing of the real opportunities for progress that exist today, setting Haiti on the path of lasting development,” the mission – known by its French acronym MINUSTAH – said in a statement a day after Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis was censured by the Senate.

All sides “must work together in a spirit of solidarity and partnership to confront the numerous challenges and deadlines that face the country and respond to the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people,” it added, paying tribute to Ms. Pierre-Louis for her role in helping the country recover from a series of devastating hurricanes last year.

It noted that the vote of censure came at a critical moment in the efforts to achieve political, economic and social stabilization, making the swift selection of a new prime minister and government team essential to avoid a return to the instability that could undermine the recent promising prospects for investment and job creation.

In his latest report on Haiti to the Security Council last month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said there was substantial reason to believe the country was moving away from its past of conflict towards a brighter future of peaceful development, citing increased political cooperation that led to senatorial elections, key legislation that included a significant increase of the minimum wage, and an inclusive dialogue on major issues.

MINUSTAH has been in place in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, since mid-2004 after the then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide went into exile amid violent unrest. Currently there are more than 9,000 military and police personnel deployed and nearly 2,000 civilian staff.

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UN chief voices cautious optimism over Haiti’s future