António Guterres’ spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the Portuguese welcomed “the confirmation of the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry of Haiti and the installation of the Council” in Villa d'Accueil, on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince. At a press briefing, Dujarric called on the new authorities and all stakeholders to “expedite the full implementation of the transitional governance arrangements”. Haiti has not held elections since 2016 and has been without a parliament and a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. The UN chief’s spokesman reiterated the call for the swift deployment of an international security support mission in Haiti, approved by the UN Security Council in October to support the police in countering armed gangs. Dujarric urged all member states to ensure that the mission receives the financial and logistical support it needs to succeed. Also welcoming the installation of the presidential transition council, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) said it “marks a significant milestone in a Haitian-led and Haitian-owned process, in the interest of Haiti.” “This is an opportunity to forge a new beginning that offers renewed hope to all Haitians for a return to constitutional governance, stability and sustainable development,” the community said in a statement. Caricom recognized that “this is but one of several necessary steps in addressing the enormous challenges facing the Presidential Transition Council and the people of Haiti.” The organization pledged its “continued support to the [transition council] and to the Haitian people in their efforts to restore Haiti to the path of constitutional legitimacy and democratic, stable and sovereign governance, and to ensure the effective functioning of state institutions.” The presidential transition council is composed of nine members, seven of whom have voting power. In parallel, a provisional electoral commission will be created, a requirement for holding elections. On 29 February, several armed groups, which control 80% of the capital, launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince, targeting police stations, hospitals, the main airport, which has remained closed since March, and stormed Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates. The offensive began while the prime minister was on an official visit to Kenya, where he was due to seek a UN-backed multinational force. According to the United Nations, the number of violent deaths in Haiti increased by more than 50% at the beginning of this year. Read Also: Guterres realça papel do povo na consolidação da democracia pós-25/Abril (Portuguese version)