Security Council representatives meet Haitian officials, UN mission leaders

Representatives of the United Nations Security Council, on their first fact-finding visit to Haiti, today met Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue for talks before holding meetings with leaders of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country to assess its needs.

Their major focus today was on security and disarmament, development, humanitarian affairs and preparations for the presidential and legislative elections in February of next year.

In this regard, they held meetings with officials of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), whose six-month mandate will be up for renewal at the end of May.

MINUSTAH says it has been aiding the Transitional Government with disarming illegal armed groups in preparation for a national dialogue, free, fair and open democratic elections and the accession to power of an elected government next year.

The Security Council delegation arrived yesterday and was scheduled to leave on Saturday.