António Guterres, secretary general of the U.N.
“The United Nations was created to live up to the highest standards of humanity. To meet those ambitious ideals, the organization must continually seek to improve the way we work. There is perhaps no better place to demonstrate that commitment than in Haiti, where the U.N. has done much good, but, unfortunately, also has fallen short. This week, I am sending a high-level U.N. delegation to the country. … As a core part of our new partnership, the U.N. is resolved to continue addressing Haiti’s cholera challenge. … The U.N. simply did not do enough at the onset of the crisis and should have responded more effectively and more quickly. We have a moral responsibility to the victims of cholera and for supporting Haiti in overcoming the epidemic. … The United Nations is determined to learn from mistakes and put in place new policies and procedures to ensure we employ the best practices of the world in our work. … The United Nations is committed to working with the Haitian government and rallying the international community to live up to that promise” (11/1).