The Dominican Republic achieved a significant diplomatic breakthrough on Wednesday, 25 June 2025 by securing that the United Nations Security Council schedule a meeting for Monday, 30 June to discuss the ongoing crisis in Haiti. Diario Libre reports the meeting was scheduled in response to the request made in a letter by four sitting and past Presidents of the Dominican Republic.
Diario Libre reports the meeting was requested by the A3++ group—which includes Sierra Leone, Somalia, Algeria, and Guyana—following the public release of a letter signed jointly by Dominican President Luis Abinader and former Presidents Danilo Medina, Leonel Fernández, and Hipólito Mejía. The letter was addressed to the leaders of Security Council member states and delivered through the Dominican Republic’s diplomatic mission to the UN.
Particularly noteworthy is that the letter reached major global powers with veto authority, such as Russia and China—two nations traditionally skeptical of reactivating the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti. In Russia’s case, the message was sent directly to President Vladimir Putin via the country’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia.
The letter expresses the Dominican Republic’s “strong support” for UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ proposal to transform the MSS into a hybrid mission. This new mission would feature shared leadership in logistics and operations to address Haiti’s escalating security crisis.
The signatories warned of the imminent risk that, without effective international intervention, Haiti could fall entirely under the control of powerful armed gangs such as Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif. Such a development, they argued, would pose a direct threat to the entire Caribbean and the broader Americas.
The unusual joint letter—signed by the sitting President and all three living former Presidents—has been interpreted within UN circles as a powerful symbol of national unity and a reflection of the urgency and gravity of the situation, Diario Libre writes in its story on the date setting for the UN Security Council meeting to discuss Haiti.
Over the years, there has been a worsening of the social and economic crisis in Haiti with heavily armed criminal groups said to control over 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Although the UN Security Council authorized the formation of a Kenya-led multinational mission in 2023, the deployment has been slow and fraught with major financial and logistical challenges. The MSS is currently authorized to operate until October 2025.
Push for a new mandate
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres-backed proposal, now formally endorsed by the Dominican Republic, envisions a “hybrid mission” that combines the leadership of willing nations with the technical and financial backing of the United Nations. This model would avoid a traditional UN peacekeeping operation under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, allowing for a more flexible and focused effort to restore institutional order.
Diario Libre reports that the 30 June meeting will be held behind closed doors as a consultation session. While no immediate decisions are expected, the meeting could pave the way toward a new resolution that redefines the MSS’s mandate. DiarioLibre observes that avoiding vetoes from Russia or China will be critical in this effort—something the Dominican letter aims to influence directly.
The failed state in Haiti comes at an enormous cost to the Dominican Republic that over the years has had to invest heavily in social services for Haitian migrants, and in recent years in migration and security services.
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Diario Libre
26 June 2025