Haiti Mission: Why Russia And China Declined To Vote

NEWYORK, Oct.3 -The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted resolution 2699 (2023) on Haiti by a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with two abstentions -China and Russian Federation.
A number of issues, including the exit strategy and the level of preparedness of the forces, have however been raised.
Japan, for example, voted in support of the deployment but warned that the forces needed prepare well for the mission.
Shino Mitsuko, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN, said they supported the mission due to the gravity of the insecurity in Haiti, but said there needs to be thorough preparation and careful assessment of the situation.
“The Mission was authorized in response to the urgent, repeated calls of the Haitian Government. It is, however, the first step in responding to the crisis, she said, underlining the need for thorough preparation, a careful assessment of the situation on the ground and the establishment of an appropriate command structure,” she said.
She added that addressing the security situation alone was insufficient, and must go hand in hand with Haiti’s efforts to restore resilient democratic institutions, establish an accountable Government and provide basic services and development opportunities.
Russia and China also gave their reasons for not voting.
The Russian Federation’s representative Vassily Nebenzia said they had abstained, although they were fully aware of the urgency of the problems facing Haiti. The representative noted that Chapter VII of the Charter of the UN was being invoked blindly saying some information, including the force’s withdrawal strategy, was not clear.
“Armed forces being sent to a nation is an extreme measure that had to be thought through,” he said adding that foreign interference had blighted Haiti in the past, and without precise parameters, the mission’s mandate was short-sighted.
The China’s delegate Zhang Jun said without a legitimate and effective government in place, any external support can hardly have any lasting effect.