Foreign Affairs and International Development

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development met to study the situation in Haiti and Canada's response, hearing from H. E. Anthony Dessources, Ambassador of Haiti to Canada; Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group; and Andréanne Martel, Project Director for Mission inclusion. Ambassador Dessources was unable to deliver his testimony due to a poor internet connection, and the committee agreed to reschedule his appearance.

Diego Da Rin focused on the transition to a new UN-authorized gang suppression force, warning that a gap between the outgoing Kenyan-led mission and the new force must be avoided, as gangs would exploit it. He noted that the current mission operates with less than 30% of required equipment and only three of twelve planned bases, and that voluntary contributions will still be needed for personnel costs, which could reach $100 million per year. He recommended that initial operations target accessible areas to build public support and that Haitian authorities explore exit pathways for gang members willing to disarm, including minors, while cautioning that elections cannot be held credibly before February 2026 due to gang control and political opposition.

Andréanne Martel testified that sexual violence against women and girls is widespread and underreported, with 6,269 incidents documented between January and July 2025, and that 77% of victims are adults and 14% are girls under 18. She argued that strictly humanitarian approaches are insufficient and that Canada should adopt an inclusive triple nexus approach integrating humanitarian aid, development, and peace-building simultaneously. She recommended that Canada increase funding for Haitian civil society organizations, prioritize long-term investments that protect women's rights, and maintain flexible funding mechanisms, noting that the withdrawal of U.S. aid has weakened institutions and that Canadian support is essential to keep services running.

During questions, Da Rin explained that gangs have evolved from being instrumentalized by political and economic elites into financially self-sufficient groups that now provide services like food distribution to position themselves as authorities, and that Haitians are skeptical of international efforts because no operation has yet dismantled a gang. Martel added that women face violence even in displacement sites and that impunity for sexual violence is nearly complete, while Da Rin noted that Canada is supporting a project to create specialized judicial divisions to address corruption and mass crimes, which has not yet been implemented. On the new gang suppression force, Da Rin said its funding model combines voluntary contributions for personnel with UN-assessed contributions for logistics, making it more predictable, but that China and Russia abstained from the UN Security Council vote, citing a lack of clarity on rules of engagement and accountability. The committee agreed to continue the meeting without further procedural debate.