A/HRC/17/42 Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and several ambassadors to discuss the place of human rights in the humanitarian crisis and reconstruction of Haiti. 9. One year after the earthquake of 12 January 2010, which destroyed Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other Haitian towns, the impact on the human rights of Haitians is still keenly felt throughout the country. Although it is inaccurate and counterproductive to claim, as many did on the first anniversary of the disaster, that little has been done or that there has been no progress with reconstruction work, the Independent Expert is nonetheless concerned by the plight of internally displaced persons, the incidents of violence against women and children and the lack of consideration for persons with disabilities. 10. That is one of the reasons why the report submitted to the Human Rights Council this year cannot emphasize strongly enough the consequences of the humanitarian crisis for the exercise of human rights and the pressing need for these rights to be taken into account in reconstruction planning in Haiti. 11. Lastly, during his various missions to Haiti, New York, Brussels and Geneva, the Independent Expert met with representatives of international and national NGOs, rural organizations and women’s associations, exchanging information with them and asking them for comments and information on their best practices. Civil society organizations constitute an invaluable resource. Although criticism of certain actions has at times been justified, those organizations showed during the crisis, and continue to show, a remarkable capacity for creativity and inventiveness and an ability to take action on the ground. 12. The Independent Expert was struck by the climate of distrust that characterizes the relations between many Haitian NGOs and the MINUSTAH Human Rights Section in Portau-Prince, from which these NGOs claim to be cut off. The Independent Expert wonders what could lie behind this state of affairs and recommends that no efforts be spared to restore working relations and cooperation with civil society, which are key to ensuring that the protection work of MINUSTAH has the broadest possible impact. 13. It has been suggested that this climate of distrust can probably be explained, in part, by the fact that the MINUSTAH Human Rights Section is an integral part of the mission and therefore its offices are quite naturally located on the base of MINUSTAH, the military component of which has sometimes come in for criticism. Since the head of the MINUSTAH Human Rights Section also represents the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Haiti, the Independent Expert wonders whether more weight could be lent to the latter function and whether the MINUSTAH Human Rights Section could be replaced by an office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Although he understands the logic of the integrated approach to United Nations missions, the Independent Expert suggests that this option should not be dismissed without its advantages having been weighed up first. II. Violations of human rights in the humanitarian crisis 14. In the course of his missions, the Independent Expert met with representatives of the principal humanitarian NGOs at meetings of the protection cluster held in and outside Portau-Prince. With some representatives in Haiti and also in Paris, New York and Brussels he discussed the role of human rights in humanitarian work. The profound significance of humanitarian work, which is aimed at ensuring human security2 and providing a 2 4 Contrary to the traditional concept of security based solely on the protection of State territory, human security focuses on the protection of people. In the strict sense of the term, human security is defined GE.11-12426