RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CMC) — The United States has reiterated its commitment to the security of Haiti and says it remains “unwavering” in its support for the Kenya-led Multinational Security Mission (MSS), as authorised by the United Nations Security Council last October.

The United States and Brazil co-hosted a ministerial meeting on the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting here on Thursday, to build momentum to enable the successful deployment of the MSS mission to the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken opened the event, and Brazil’s Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean Ambassador Gisela Padovan and UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed also addressed the event.

A statement issued by the US State Department afterwards noted that participants discussed the need to support the Haitian people and the Haitian National Police in the face of unprecedented levels of gang violence and destabilisation.

Washington said that representatives from the governments of Kenya and Haiti gave remarks highlighting the urgent need for robust international support to the mission.

It said Benin, Canada, France, Germany, and Jamaica announced financial, personnel, and in-kind commitments to the mission during this event.

The United Nations established a trust fund for this mission that is able to receive additional contributions.

“The United States’s commitment to the people of Haiti and the success of the MSS remains unwavering. The international community reaffirmed at this event its willingness to answer the Haitian people’s call for help to restore peace and security,” said the State Department statement.

“As we have been saying, since that [United Nations] Security Council resolution there is an urgent need to provide security and other support to Haiti to help the country deal with a pressing and worsening crisis of violence and instability. It is also important to have predictable and sufficient financial contributions for the multinational security force,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

He said that the meeting in Brazil was intended to “bolster support to finally address the vicious circle of insecurity, political instability, and poverty in Haiti, and generate support for the MSS in Haiti as authorised by the Security Council”.

In January the Kenya High Court ruled against sending troops to Haiti as part of the MSS to restore peace and security in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country where criminal gangs continue to threaten public order.

Last October the UN Security Council authorised the deployment of the MSS to back Haiti’s beleaguered police force, which Kenya offered to lead. A 2022 sanctions regime, targeting gang leaders and their financiers, was also renewed.

Earlier this month, president of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader urged the international community to do more to help deal with the security, political, and economic situation in Haiti.