Above: UN Special Representative Mariano Fernandez (UN Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Despite structural challenges, Haiti has shown “encouraging signs of progress and positive results in various fields,” according to Mariano Fernandez, the Special Representative in Haiti of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Fernandez issued a statement Saturday to mark the three-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, saying the UN shared the “profound grief and memories of families who have lost loved ones, leaving indelible scars in their hearts.”

“The UN, working alongside Haitians, also understands and feels the pain of having lost a significant number of staff members, both Haitian and foreign, including former Special Representative Hedi Annabi,” he said.

Fernandez, a native of Chile, has led the UN’s MINUSTAH peacekeeping mission in Haiti since 2011.

The MINUSTAH chief said the UN was committed to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening the rule of law and the daily work of the Haitian people.