A/HRC/25/71 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 7 February 2014 English Original: French Human Rights Council Twenty-fifth session Agenda item 10 Technical assistance and capacity-building Report of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, Gustavo Gallón Summary Gustavo Gallón, independent expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, appointed in June 2013 by the Human Rights Council, proposes shock treatment for certain key aspects of the human rights situation in the country, which he considers to be very complex but not insurmountable. The independent expert carried out a mission to Haiti in September 2013, to Port-au-Prince and Jacmel. On the basis of his predecessors’ analyses of the situation, which he shares, the independent expert has identified five main problems that contribute to the commission of human rights violations in Haiti and require urgent action: First, social inequality, as a result of which much of the population lacks resources and has no access to economic, social and cultural rights; Secondly, the plight of detainees, particularly the problem of prolonged pretrial detention; Thirdly, the weakness of the rule of law; Fourthly, human rights violations committed in the past; And fifthly, the impact on human rights of the disasters that have hit Haiti. The independent expert specifically addresses the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in camps, mainly as a result of the 2010 earthquake, the cholera epidemic and the situation of people of Haitian origin who could end up being stateless. The independent expert hopes that the proposed shock treatment will help to put an end to violations that persist in these five areas, will send out a strong message showing commitment to remedying the situation and will pave the way for the implementation of recommendations made in the last few decades, particularly in the context of the universal periodic review and special procedures of the Council, which the independent expert reiterates while offering his assistance for their implementation. GE.14-10841 (E) 130314 140314 *1410841*