Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:01:25.806Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

UN Accountability for Haiti’s Cholera Epidemic

Part of: Remedies For Harm Caused By UN Peacekeepers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Ira Kurzban ,
Beatrice Lindstrom  and
Shannon Jonsson
Ira Kurzban
Affiliation:
Miami civil rights law firm Kurzban, Kurzban, Weinger, Tetzelli & Pratt and Georges et al v. United Nations
Beatrice Lindstrom
Affiliation:
Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti and Georges et al v. United Nations
Shannon Jonsson
Affiliation:
Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A lawsuit pending in U.S. courts against the United Nations for its responsibility for Haiti’s cholera out-break is the largest challenge yet to the impunity of the organization, which has thus far refused to comply with its legal obligations to provide a settlement mechanism to the victims. With no such avenue of redress available to them, those affected by the epidemic have been left in the bizarre situation where in order to obtain justice they must file lawsuits against the United Nations, whose mandate is to defend the rule of law and promote human rights. If successful, the suit would improve accountability for the organization and underscore the need for it to comply with international law.

Type
Symposium: Remedies For Harm Caused By UN Peacekeepers
Information
AJIL Unbound , Volume 108 , 2014 , pp. 17 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 2014

References

1 Remedies for Harm Caused by UN Peacekeepers, ASIL (2014)Google Scholar.

2 Class Action Complaint & Demand for Jury Trial, Georges v. United Nations, No. 13-CV-7146 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 9, 2013).

3 Ministere de la Sante Publique et de la Population (MSPP), Rapport de Cas (Mar. 10, 2014).

4 Independent Panel of Experts on the Cholera Outbreak in Haiti, Final Report of the Independent Panel of Experts on the Cholera Outbreak in Haiti (2010)Google Scholar.

5 Agreement Between the United Nations and the Government of Haiti Concerning the Status of the UN Operation in Haiti, 227.1,1-40460 (July 9, 2004).

6 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities on the United Nations, Feb. 13, 1946, 1 UNTS 15.

7 The Transnational Development Clinicet Al., Peacekeeping Without Accountability: The United Nations’ Responsibility For The Haitian Cholera Epidemic 33 (2013)Google Scholar.

8 Chief of Claims Unit Minustah Log Base, Petition for Relief dated Nov. 3, 2011 from the Chief of Claims Unit Minustah Log Base to the Office of the UN Secretary-General (Nov. 3, 2011).

9 Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Letter dated Dec. 21, 2011 from the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs ad dressed to Mr. Concannon (Dec. 21, 2011).

10 Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Letter dated Feb. 21, 2013 from the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs ad dressed to Mr. Concannon (Feb. 21, 2013).

11 Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, Letter dated May 7, 2013 from Joesph, Concannon, Kurzan Attorneys for Petitioners to UN Under-Secretary-General O’Brien (May 7, 2013).

12 Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Letter dated July 5, 2013 from the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs ad dressed to Mr. Concannon (July 5, 2013).

13 Annis, Roger, Stephen Lewis Says United Nations Must be Held Accountable for Cholera in Haiti, Haiti-Canadablog (Oct. 14, 2013)Google Scholar.

14 Lewis, Stephen: Curtail the U.N.’s Legal Immunity, CBC Radio Day 6 (Oct. 11, 2013)Google Scholar.

15 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Haiti, Gustavo Gallón, UN Doc. A/HRC/25/71 (Feb. 7, 2014).

16 Daniel, Trenton, UN Official Makes Rare Case for Compensation for Haiti Cholera Victims, Huffington Post, Oct. 8, 2013.Google Scholar

17 See The Transnational Development Clinicet al., supra note 7.

18 N.Y. Times Editorial Board, Haiti’s Imported Disaster, N.Y. Times, Oct. 12, 2013, at SR10Google Scholar.

19 Members of U.S. Congress, Letter dated Jan. 10, 2014 from Members of U.S. Congress to the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN (Jan. 10, 2014).

20 Witcher, Tim & Andrade, Mariano, UN Warns of Surge in Haiti Cholera Deaths, Agence France-Presse (Jan. 22, 2014)Google Scholar.

21 Wash. Post Editorial Board, United Nations Must Admit its Role in Haiti’s Cholera Outbreak, Wash. Post (Aug. 16, 2013)Google Scholar.