Norway's statement:
"Mr. President,
As a sign of Norway’s commitment, we are now nominating a team of five police personnel with expertise in sexual and gender-based violence to serve in MINUSTAH. This is our first specialized team to a UN mission, reflecting the great importance that Norway places on contributing to the concrete work of UN missions against sexual violence. We commend MINUSTAH’s support to Haitian authorities in setting up community police sub-stations that can assist victims of sexual and gender-based violence in IDP camps and crime-prone areas.
The potential for social unrest remains. One must look for solutions that permit the UN to engage in areas in Port au Prince rated as not secure. Norway commends the work done by the Community Violence Reduction programme, and recommends the extension of this programme.
Norway welcomes MINUSTAH’s measures to address sexual and gender based violence including training, the establishment of a referral system and mechanisms for reporting and data collection. The UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines on Gender Based Violence in humanitarian settings should advice the implementation of these measures.
Norway encourages MINUSTAH and other relevant international bodies, including the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, to take fully into account the recommendations issued by the High Commissioner for Human Rights in her statement to the Human Rights Council on 11 June 2010. We join the High Commissioner in calling for all reconstruction programmes and projects to adopt a human rights’ based approach, including during tender processes. A gender based approach must be applied to all relief and reconstruction efforts.
Norway has channelled a substantial part of our support through the Multi-donor Trust Fund, including as budgetary support. The Norwegian contribution of 33 million USD to the Fund has been disbursed. We endorse the Secretary General’s call for more of the international support and for budgetary support to be channelled through the Fund, thus supporting the Government’s own reconstruction efforts.
While there are positive developments in relation to the preparations for presidential and legislative elections, we are concerned about shortcomings in the voter registration process. This may have a negative impact on the elections and their legitimacy.
The challenge is now to achieve a gradual transition from relief to a recovery mode, keeping in mind that the humanitarian situation is volatile. We expect the UN to play a leading role in the longer term recovery process, including by supporting capacity building, enhancing legitimacy of the Haitian institutions and engaging the civil society.
Thank you, Mr. President."