19 February 2004 – Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Rafael E. Seguis today said that the Philippines joined the other members of the UN Security Council yesterday in condemning the recent deadly clashes in Haiti and in calling on the government and opposition to restore confidence and dialogue, and for the parties to overcome their differences peacefully and democratically through constitutional means.

“The Philippines and the other members of the UN Security Council expressed our deep concern over the increasing violence and political crisis in Haiti that has lead to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, including the loss of many lives,” Acting Secretary Seguis said.

The members of the Security Council also commended the work of a team dispatched to Haiti by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and expressed support for the peacemaking efforts of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS).

“We look forward to the assessment of the UN humanitarian mission which has been in Haiti since Sunday to assess how best to respond to the violence that has gripped the country in recent weeks. Ambassador Lauro Baja and his Team in New York are ready to review this assessment and support any appropriate action in the Security Council that might help resolve the situation in Haiti,” the Acting Secretary said.

When asked if the Philippines would join peacekeepers that the UN Security Council might send to Haiti, the Acting Secretary said that “as a general rule and as a member of the United Nations, we support when we can the decisions of the Security Council, particularly now that we are a member.  We consider many factors in deployment but are always ready and duty-bound to respond to such a call.” END.