Event Precedes MINUSTAH’s Reauthorization
by the United Nations on Oct. 15, 2007

Newark, N.J. – Seton Hall Law School will host a forum on Sept. 27, 2007 to discuss the record of MINUSTAH (Missions des Nations Unies pour la stabilization en Haiti) —the UN’s peacekeeping force in Haiti—in promoting and respecting human rights in Haiti. The event is timed to precede the re-authorization of MINUSTAH’S mandate, which is set to expire on Oct. 15, 2007. The forum will bring together key experts in human rights and Haiti to explore MINUSTAH’s successes, as well as accusations that the mission has either contributed to or participated in human rights violations by the Haitian National Police.

The United Nations Security Council established MINUSTAH in April 2004 after the February 2004 departure of Haiti’s democratically-elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. A regime known as the Interim Government of Haiti held power for the next two years and was widely accused of gross human rights violations against poor Haitian civilians and supporters of former President Aristide.

MINUSTAH’s original mandate from the UN Security Council provided that the mission would work “in support of the Transitional Government, to ensure a secure and stable environment within which the constitutional and political process” could take place, and that the mission would support and promote human rights in Haiti, particularly those of women and children. Critics have argued, however, that MINUSTAH has failed to honor its mandate. Some have alleged that MINUSTAH has failed to oversee and reform the Haitian National Police and has provided the police force with cover as it committed extra-judicial killings and other abuses against Haitian civilians. Others contend that the mission itself has independently contributed to and participated in attacks on unarmed civilians, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.

MINUSTAH has denied these accusations. MINUSTAH contends that its operations in Haiti have successfully targeted gang members and other dangerous elements in an attempt to secure peace and stability for the Haitian people. In addition, the international community has largely expressed satisfaction with MINUSTAH’s contribution to progress in Haiti and has noted that its presence remains essential in the area.

In hosting this forum, Seton Hall Law School hopes to explore these divergent perspectives and the role of the United Nations in advancing human rights in a peacekeeping mission.

Patrick Hobbs, Dean of Seton Hall Law School stated: “Seton Hall Law School is committed to supporting the rule of law in Haiti. We hope that this forum will educate our students and stimulate discussion within the international community, including within the United Nations, on how to advance the human rights of Haitian civilians in the years to come.”

Recognizing that lawyers play a vital role in promoting stability and peace in democratic societies, Seton Hall Law several years ago established the Haiti Rule of Law Society to work on the promotion of the rule of law and increased respect for individual rights in Haiti.

Speakers at the forum will include:

• Brian Concannon, Attorney & Director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy and co-manager of the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) in Haiti since 1996.

• Ettore Di Benedetto Deputy Chief, Human Rights, MINUSTAH and a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.

• Tom Griffin: Attorney and lead investigator, author of comprehensive report examining human rights in Haiti under the Interim Government of Haiti for the University of Miami’s Center for the Study of Human Rights.

• Mario Joseph: Haitian Human Rights Attorney, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) in Port-au-Prince.

• Reed Lindsay: independent international reporter whose feature articles from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa have been published in English-language papers across the world.

The forum will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, at Seton Hall Law School, One Newark Center, Newark, New Jersey, Room 273. The event is hosted by the law school’s Center for Social Justice, the Haiti Rule of Law Society, the Public Interest Network, and the International Law Society. Seton Hall Law Professor Elizabeth Defeis, an international law scholar, will moderate.

For more information on MINUSTAH, please visit http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/minustah/facts.html

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The only private law school in New Jersey, Seton Hall University School of Law was founded in 1951, and is located in the city of Newark. Seton Hall Law School offers both day and evening programs leading to the Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Master of Science in Jurisprudence (M.S.J.) degrees. For more information on Seton Hall Law School, visit law.shu.edu.