The UN Security Council extended on Tuesday the mandate of the
UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti for six months.
The current mandate of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH) expires on Tuesday.
Unanimously adopting resolution, the 15-member council decided
that MINUSTAH would consist of a military component of up to 7,200
troops of all ranks and of a police component of up to 1,951
officers.
The council also urged Haitian authorities to complete run-off
elections -- in places where the electoral process was disrupted or
appeals were upheld -- as soon as feasible, and called on the
mission to provide all appropriate assistance.
In a report to the council, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had
recommended that the council extend the mission for at least 12
months, saying that one year would be the minimum time needed to
establish a solid basis for rule-of-law reform and achieve some
initial results and progress towards democratic governance.
A resolution adopted by the council in April, 2004, authorized
the establishment of the UN mission in Haiti to support an interim
government after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide fled into
exile.
(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2006 )
