The last presidential elections were in 2015 in the Caribbean nation, which is experiencing a wave of instability and violence: in 2025 alone there were more than eight thousand homicides and 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is under the control of armed factions.
O Haiti remains mired in a multidimensional crisis, marked by fragile institutions, political uncertainty, widespread gang violence and overwhelming humanitarian needs.
Despite everything, for the special representative of the UN Secretary General in the country, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, a recently signed political agreement offers “a moment of hope and progress for the Haitian people”, who have not participated in presidential elections since 2015.
It was in that year that the President Jovenel Moïse won the elections. In 2021, it was . From then on, there were interim administrations, with the aim of governing while the country awaited new elections.
Ruiz Massieu said that the new National Pact for Stability and Organization of Elections was a “significant political act”, which responds to Haitian priorities of “reestablishing security, organizing reliable elections and restoring democratic governance”.
Human rights violations
Weak governance and insecurity have allowed armed gangs to expand territorial control, undermine the rule of law and commit atrocious human rights violations.
These violations include more than 8100 homicides last year, kidnappings for ransom, child recruitment and sexual violence, including gang rape of women and girls.
Gang violence also led to the displacement of around 1.5 million people, many of whom were already living in high poverty — a situation worsened by the economic collapse.
Haiti’s prolonged political transition is not an isolated internal problem, but has implications for regional stability, such as drug and arms trafficking by gangs and the migration of its citizens abroad.
Elections until the end of 2026
The UN, together with the international community, has consistently argued that any lasting political solution must go through a Haiti-led process. Authorities are receiving support in their efforts to organize and hold local, legislative and presidential elections.
The current Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, stated that these will take place by the end of the year.
“Lack of progress”
The UN Security Council is the main multilateral body, along with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), a regional organization of Caribbean states that works with Haiti to find solutions to its long-standing challenges. The Security Council, made up of 15 UN member states, meets at least four times a year to discuss the situation in the country.
In its most recent resolution, the Council urged “all Haitian stakeholders to reach agreement on the future structure of government”, and expressed “deep concern about the lack of progress” in achieving a political transition.
The resolution also refers to recent institutional measures, including the 2025 decree that creates specialized judicial bodies to deal with corruption, gang violence and sexual crimes, reforms considered essential to restore the rule of law and political credibility.
Despite these initiatives, persistent insecurity, the fragility of Haitian institutions, as well as political fragmentation, continue to delay progress towards elections and constitutional governance.
What happens next?
This year comes with great expectations regarding the holding of long-delayed elections.
An electoral calendar marks the first round of legislative and presidential elections for August 20th and a second roundif necessary, simultaneously with the municipal elections, for December 6th.
According to the press, around 320 political parties or groups registered to participate in the elections.
To meet these deadlines, it is necessary to make progress in stabilizing the security environment and creating conditions conducive to holding a fair vote.
