Dominican Republic

Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the Seventy-eighth regular session of the General Assembly,

Excellency Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Well into the second decade of the twenty-first century, humanity faces inherited challenges and new obstacles that require action. We must see these calamities as opportunities that compel us to work together to overcome them.

The Dominican Republic is firmly committed to building a model of human development that is inclusive, just and sustainable. However, it is legitimate to ask ourselves: are we truly on track to achieve it?

The various crises generated by climate change have had devastating impacts on our planet and our societies, such as droughts, rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity, extreme weather events, among others. These impacts have generated an environmental liability that seriously threatens all the progress we have achieved in recent decades.

As a developing economy, and with a negative carbon footprint, we are making our contribution to climate change mitigation, promoting the use of renewable energy; but we know this is only one step on the long road to sustainability, because we still have a heavy dependence on fossil fuels. Oil remains important for us. I take this opportunity to draw attention to the practice by exporting countries of controlling supply in order to keep crude oil prices high, to the detriment of importing countries. In this Assembly, representative of both sides, we should discuss and approve a financial mechanism to guarantee price stability for middle- and low-income oil-importing countries like ours.

Important steps have been taken to address the climate emergency, such as the recent adoption of the Convention on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which I will sign this afternoon.

But many more decisive steps are still needed, among others: the adoption of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) applicable to all developing countries, or the implementation of the Loss and Damage Fund to provide financial assistance to nations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. I also wish to highlight the International Summit to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2024 on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in which our country will participate as a member of the preparatory committee.

Likewise, it is urgent to create a financing mechanism on favorable terms so that middle-income countries can face the challenges posed by compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2015-2030). The lack of access to adequate resources was precisely one of the reasons why most countries failed to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 2000-2015).

As the Secretary-General has stated, the international financial system "is broken." The Dominican Republic firmly believes in a profound reform of the international financial architecture, one that benefits all countries equitably.

Another harmful effect of climate change particularly affects our Caribbean region: I refer to the massive proliferation of sargassum. This algae, which devours Caribbean coastlines, including those of the United States and Mexico, has extremely serious economic, social and environmental impacts, especially for tourism, which represents up to 75% of the economy in some Caribbean countries. The Dominican Republic has created a Multisectoral Task Force to deal with this problem, and we hope that developed countries will contribute to the solution.

Mr. President,

One of the pillars of our commitment to achieving a fairer social contract and a more effective State has been, and will always be, the fight against corruption. The Dominican people have embraced this as a response to one of their main demands. The various international indicators on the perception of corruption confirm the progress my government has made in this regard.

On another note, I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate before this Assembly the candidacy of the Dominican Republic to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term, in the elections to be held next month. This candidacy represents our firm commitment to the defense of human rights.

Distinguished colleagues,

When observing the island of Hispaniola from space – do it from your cell phone through Google Earth! – a palpable and heartbreaking difference can be perceived: a green and flourishing half corresponds to the Dominican Republic, which has prioritized the conservation and sustainable management of its natural resources. The other half, stripped of that rich forest cover, reflects the dramatic deforested landscape of Haiti. This natural border is not just a geography lesson, but a powerful reminder of what awaits the world if we continue to ignore nature's alarms.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Haiti today suffers not only an environmental tragedy, but also a political and social instability that could become a threat to the entire region. It gives me no pleasure to recall the appeal I made two years ago before this General Assembly, when I said: "Since this government took office, we have been warning of the possibility that the Haitian situation could spill over that country's borders, becoming a factor of insecurity in the region. Hence the need for this community of nations to finally take up the Haitian issue, once and for all, as a matter of the highest priority and permanent follow-up."

Today, the harsh reality of that warning is being confirmed. A small group of Haitian private individuals has resumed construction of an illegal diversion canal on Haitian territory to extract water from the Dajabón River in violation of Dominican-Haitian border treaties.

The international community should know that the Dajabón River rises in Loma de Cabrera, and most of its 55 km flows through our territory until it empties into Manzanillo Bay, in Montecristi. Only 2 km enter Haitian territory. It is in that small stretch on the Haitian side where the canal is being built. The information available to us indicates that this is a maneuver to control water by a small economic-political elite seeking to profit from selling it to small producers in the area.

The idea for this project was never officially communicated to the Dominican government, nor was documentation provided on its scope, environmental impact, or the identity of its ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the scarce information available, the analyses we have conducted show that the work jeopardizes access to water for hundreds of Dominican and Haitian farming families downstream from where the canal is being built.

Furthermore, the project threatens flooding both to the CODEVI industrial park, 300 meters downstream from the canal, and its 19,000 Haitian workers, as well as to part of the residents of the border cities of Dajabón and Juana Méndez, and as if that were not enough, it would have harmful ecological effects, affecting the Saladillo Lagoon, one of the main wetlands of the Dominican Republic.

Since April 2021, our government has repeatedly requested the Haitian authorities to halt the unilateral and illegal construction of this project. The Haitian government itself has stated that this is not a government project, but it has not stopped it due to institutional weakness and the crisis of public order and security in that country. The situation has already led to a delicate animosity on both sides of the border.

Faced with this internationally unlawful act, committed by private individuals in a portion of the river located in Haitian territory, the Dominican government has been forced to take strong measures, such as closing the border with Haiti, to guarantee security and national interest, as well as to protect our rivers, environment and agricultural production.

We do not have, do not want, and do not seek confrontation with the Haitian people, but we are indeed confronting the uncontrollable actors who maintain insecurity in Haiti for their own particular interests, and who now also conspire against the stability of its government and the security of water resources.

Mr. President,

Without a doubt, Haiti's problem is no longer in Haiti; it is in the hands of the international community. For this reason, we firmly support the responsible position of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, expressed yesterday from this very podium, which we will now repeat: the Security Council must urgently authorize the UN-backed security mission.

The Security Council has already approved three important resolutions, creating a sanctions regime, an effort to stop the illicit flow of weapons, and a call for the creation of a multinational force to assist the Haitian National Police, as requested by that country's government and the Secretary-General of this organization. We applaud the important gesture of solidarity from Kenya in leading the multinational force, and from Jamaica and the Bahamas in contributing personnel.

I take this opportunity to particularly thank the President of Kenya, William Ruto, for his solidarity and humanitarian willingness to lead, through this mission, the search for peace and stability for the Haitian people. Furthermore, we urge all those countries considering playing a role in this commendable effort to act with determination.

What is happening in Haiti is a breakdown of public order by criminal elements without any political or ideological claims, so accepting the Haitian authorities' request for help by sending a multinational force is consistent with the spirit and letter of the Charter of the United Nations and the mandate of this Organization in accordance with international law to guarantee peace.

We are all aware that the pacification process in Haiti must be undertaken alongside a social and political pact. In this regard, we commend the noble work being carried out by the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group to achieve a political agreement that allows for the greatest possible legitimacy for the acceptance of a multinational force and the holding of fair, free and transparent elections. In this regard, I wish to recognize Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica for all his efforts.

While thanking the Secretary-General for his work in addressing this crisis, we call on him to redouble his efforts to achieve the immediate deployment of the multinational force in Haiti. We also call on the Security Council to approve that resolution, now! Because time has run out.

Mr. President,

The Dominican Republic, through centuries of coexistence, often difficult, alongside the Haitian people, has given clear evidence of tireless solidarity. Haiti needs a great deal. I wish to reiterate our solidarity with the Haitian people, but without forgetting that our primary responsibility is to defend the interests of the Dominican people. That is what we have always done, that is what we are doing, and rest assured that this is what we will continue to do, because there is not, nor will there ever be, a Dominican solution to the Haitian problem.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let us not wait for the next warning to be the chronicle of a tragedy foretold. May this moment, at the Seventy-eighth regular session of the General Assembly, mark a rebirth of our collective determination to forge a safer, more inclusive and sustainable future for Haiti and for all of us.

I make a final call:

This global scenario challenges us to act not only as individual nations, but as a united collective, with a shared vision and a common purpose. History will judge us not only by the words we speak in these sacred halls, but more crucially, by our actions on the ground of reality. Let us not fail the future.