Statement by H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the General Assembly, at the informal briefing by the Secretary-General on the United Nations’ New Approach to Cholera in Haiti
1 December 2016
Secretary-General
Deputy Secretary-General
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to this briefing by the Secretary-General on the ‘New UN Approach to Cholera in Haiti’.
Let me begin by expressing my deepest sympathies to the people and Government of Haiti – as well as to other countries in the region – that were recently hit by Hurricane Matthew which as we know was a catastrophic event.
Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti at a time when many people were still struggling to rebuild their lives from compounding effects of a series of major challenges – from post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding, to a major earthquake and a public health crisis.
As each crisis has hit Haiti, it has washed away years of hard-won, incremental progress.
The cholera outbreak in 2010 was a tragic contributor to this national situation. It claimed thousands of lives and affected hundreds of thousands more.
If we as an international community are to learn lessons from what has occurred in Haiti, we must engage in a meaningful manner.
Importantly, we must recognise the importance of a coordinated and integrated approach to sustainable development.
The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, are the road maps for our pursuit of sustainable development, climate action and risk reduction and resilience. As a matter of urgency, the international community must prioritize their implementation.
For countries like Haiti, implementation of these universal agreements can provide the comprehensive solutions requested. This will be achieved by eradicating extreme poverty, building peaceful and inclusive societies, ensuring universal access to health-care services, advancing gender equality, combatting climate change, protecting our natural environment, securing fundamental human rights, and achieving access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
To this end, I call on the international community to support efforts by the Government of Haiti to implement the SDGs, including those relevant to combating cholera such as:
-ensuring universal access to health-care services;
-combatting communicable diseases as part of a comprehensive national health plan;
-building health, education, communication, and water and sanitation infrastructure; addressing the special needs of women and girls on order to empower them and enable them to contribute fully to the rebuilding of their society;
-mobilizing strategic partnerships and investments among relevant stakeholders;
-supporting the provision of safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.
Today’s briefing by the Secretary-General on the ‘New UN Approach to Cholera in Haiti’ is therefore particularly welcome. I know that many members of the General Assembly are looking forward to hearing in greater detail how the UN system plans to intensify its work in Haiti in coordination with the Government, in order to save lives, alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people, prevent future outbreaks, and achieve the target of ‘zero deaths by cholera’.
In all of these efforts sustained engagement, political will and financial support will, of course, be essential. To this end, I call on all donors to fulfil their existing pledges, and urge the international community to provide as much additional assistance to the people of Haiti as possible.
In closing, Excellencies, I take this opportunity to call on Member States and all involved parties to act with a spirit of urgency and responsibility to support implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Haiti with a view to achieving a cholera-free Haiti and a resilient and sustainable future for its people.
Thank you.