Haiti's government formally appointed Ariel Henry as prime minister, nearly two weeks after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated.
Henry assumed the role of de-facto leader of the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation in a ceremony in the capital Port-au-Prince, where he began his inaugural speech with a minute of silence for the slain president.
Haiti has been struggling with lawlessness fuelled by violent gangs and Henry said he wants to create conditions for as many people as possible to vote in elections, currently scheduled to be held in September.
"It's time for unity and for stability," Henry said.
He called for continued international support for the government, which has been receiving billions in aid since a devastating earthquake in 2010.
Outgoing former Prime Minister Claude Joseph said Henry's appointment was intended to facilitate elections, which were last held in 2016. He also warned of a tough task ahead.
Both Henry and Joseph stressed the government needed to restore order and security as well as work to strengthen an economy ravaged by crime and the coronavirus pandemic.
The ceremony took place as official memorial services began for Moise, who was killed on July 7 in the middle of the night at his private residence in Port-au-Prince by a group of more than 20 mostly Colombian mercenaries.
The leader's own security chief, some Haitian police officers and a couple of Haitian-Americans have been taken into custody on suspicion of complicity vis a vis the assassination of Moise.
Moise's killing has rocked an already fragile political system while focusing attention on weak security institutions beset with powerful gangs that control swathes of Haiti like feudal lords.