A/HRC/28/82 8. Lastly, the Independent Expert extends his sincere thanks to the many representatives of civil society organizations, political parties, journalists and members of human rights NGOs in Port-au-Prince and the Sud Department with whom he met in Haiti and in New York. II. Five key aspects of the human rights situation in Haiti 9. The Independent Expert presented his first report to the Human Rights Council in March 2014, following his first mission to Haiti from 23 September to 1 October 2013. In that report, he pointed to the profound inequalities in Haitian society as the underlying cause of the critical human rights situation in the country and drew attention to five key aspects that required urgent action: (a) the extremely precarious economic situation of the majority of the population; (b) inhumane conditions in prisons; (c) very weak government institutions; (d) continued impunity for serious human rights violations committed in the past and still awaiting resolution; and (e) other factors, including a succession of natural disasters and other events that are complicating the task of guaranteeing human rights both now and for the future. 10. Far from being new, these five aspects have been present for many years and are the result of an accumulation of developments within the country as well as internationally. They have been identified in the numerous substantive analyses conducted by the Independent Expert’s predecessors, which he endorses and which show that these five key aspects require urgent action inasmuch as they are at the root of continued serious violations of human rights. Furthermore, from a structural viewpoint they undermine the enjoyment of human rights by Haitian society as a whole and must be addressed and resolved once and for all. 11. While the human rights situation in Haiti is complex, the Independent Expert does not feel it is insurmountable. This assessment, which he expressed already in his first report, is based on the Haitian population’s vast capacity for work, their perseverance and desire for freedom, and the country’s rich natural-resource base, despite the many trials and tribulations faced by this brave nation throughout history. 12. To tackle the country’s critical human rights situation, the Independent Expert proposes a set of emergency measures, or “shock treatment”, to jump-start changes in the most acute areas of these five aspects, namely: (a) eradicating illiteracy; (b) resolving, as a matter of urgency, all cases of persons being held in pretrial detention; (c) ensuring transparency and credibility in the holding of the elections; (d) guaranteeing redress for the large-scale and systematic violations of human rights perpetrated in the past; and (e) resettling in suitable, long-term housing all of the people displaced by the 2010 earthquake and subsequent disasters who are still living in camps. 13. These measures are necessary for three reasons: first, to end the serious human rights violations that would otherwise continue to be committed against thousands of people; secondly, to send a clear message to the Haitian people and the international community of the firm commitment to remedy the country’s human rights situation; and lastly, to open the way for full implementation of the recommendations made by international human rights mechanisms over the past 30 years. The Independent Expert stands ready to assist in this undertaking. 14. The Independent Expert’s second mission to Haiti focused on observing developments in these five key aspects, and particularly the five elements identified during his first mission. 4 GE.15-02042