Publication

Debate about the eventual withdrawal of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is intensifying. However, the real debate is not whether MINUSTAH should leave but when, and what to change in Haiti and in the mission’s mandate, structure and behavior to ensure that a phased withdrawal is linked to stronger institutions and progress toward lasting stability and development. Despite the voices advocating for a more rapid exodus, it is unlikely that full departure can or should be accomplished before a third peaceful handover of democratic power takes place at the end of the Martelly presidency in 2017.