Dominican Republic

Madam President Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly,

Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Excellencies, distinguished Heads of State and Government,

Honorable Heads of delegation,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Eighty years ago, from the ashes of war, this Organization was born with the firm commitment to prevent humanity from once again sinking into hatred and barbarism, and the conviction that cooperation and dialogue must govern our coexistence.

In the Dominican Republic we are fully aware of our responsibility as a member nation of the international community and of the impact that global decisions have on our societies. That is why we demand — with conviction — a fairer international order, one in which the development of some does not mean the sacrifice of others. We live in a moment of great international complexity, where five forces converge that deeply shake the destiny of our peoples: political polarization, the resurgence of trade protectionism, the technological revolution, climate change, and geopolitical competition.

These global challenges have very concrete consequences for countries like ours. Recent and persistent wars have caused disruptions in markets, creating volatility and uncertainty in commodity prices. Recent tariffs introduce a new factor of unpredictability for international trade. Hurricanes and the uncontrolled proliferation of sargassum remind us of our climate vulnerability. And disinformation, amplified in digital environments, erodes citizens' trust. These are challenges that converge and put to the test the principles of the San Francisco Charter. The key to facing them was stated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt: "The real safeguard of peace can only be found in cooperation based on economic and social justice."

Faced with this panorama, the Dominican Republic reaffirms its faith in the founding mandate of the United Nations, in its principles and values, not as secondary options, but as the only paths to preserve peace and human dignity. We welcome the theme that brings us together today: Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights. We embrace it as a historic mandate and legitimate cry of our peoples.

Madam President,

Multilateralism is going through profound challenges, aggravated by the financial crisis affecting this Organization and by the growing difficulty in reaching consensus that would stop conflicts. In this context, we urgently need spaces for more frank, effective, and results-oriented dialogue at all levels. We must listen to each other with greater openness and genuine willingness for mutual understanding. If we do not transform the United Nations, we risk it falling into irrelevance, and this would be a catastrophe we must not allow.

The UN80 Initiative offers us a historic opportunity to revitalize mandates, renew structures, and restore effectiveness and credibility to this common roof of nations. The Dominican Republic firmly supports this process.

In the coming months, a new Secretary-General must be elected. It is now up to Latin America and the Caribbean to offer renewed leadership, with the vision, independence, and commitment that the times demand. Our region has the diversity, capacity, and experience to raise a firm voice in favor of peace, climate justice, human rights, and sustainable development. I am fully convinced that the time has come for a woman to hold the office of Secretary-General.

Colleagues,

Only five years separate us from 2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals remain behind schedule. The main obstacle is an international financial architecture that does not respond to the realities of developing countries. The commitments made during the recent Conference on Financing for Development in Seville are a positive step, but insufficient. We need a real transformation. A new international financial pact with access to concessional financing, debt relief, innovative mechanisms, and greater technical cooperation.

The Dominican commitment is solid. Despite the challenges, we have achieved tangible progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda. We highlight, in particular, sustained progress on the first two SDGs: poverty reduction and zero hunger. As a result of our social protection policies, the boost to agricultural production, and the increase in the minimum wage, we managed to reduce moderate poverty from 25.8% in 2019 to 18.05% in the first quarter of 2025; and undernourishment fell from 8.6% in 2018 to 3.6% in 2025.

Ladies and gentlemen,

With responsibility and consistency, I have maintained before this Assembly — and in all relevant international forums — that the multidimensional crisis in Haiti represents a serious threat to peace and security for the Dominican Republic and the region. Since 2021 we have clearly maintained: the only way out for Haiti is a coherent and sustained international action, one that guarantees minimum conditions of security and opens the way to the broadest possible democratic and sovereign agreement among Haitians themselves.

That neighboring country is today living an unprecedented human tragedy: extreme violence, institutional collapse, and territorial control by numerous criminal gangs that terrorize the population. Groups that the Dominican and United States governments have classified as terrorist organizations, and with which there can be no negotiation whatsoever.

Faced with this reality, the Dominican Republic has deployed a continuous diplomatic offensive aimed at achieving an effective international response. In this vein, the Security Council approved a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), along with an arms embargo and a sanctions regime for individuals and institutions that support these criminal organizations.

We thank the leadership of Kenya, Jamaica, Belize, the Bahamas, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and the financial support of the United States, Canada, and other countries that have made the initial deployment possible. But the mission has not yet reached the necessary scale, number of personnel, and adequate funding, and therefore has not achieved its objectives.

For this reason, we firmly support the draft resolution presented by Panama and the United States before the Security Council, based on the proposal by Secretary-General Guterres, to transform the MSS into a force capable of imposing order and restoring peace, with a reinforced command structure, clear and measurable goals, and the logistical and operational support of an office under United Nations command. This proposal establishes a more robust presence, with greater coordination, oversight, and accountability standards, both in human rights and operational performance.

We make an urgent call to the members of the Security Council, especially the five permanent members, to adopt this resolution without delay. We must be aware that the MSS mandate expires on October 2nd, and we are facing a delicate transition period that requires guaranteeing legitimacy to the entire current contingent of the mission. The Dominican Republic demands support for this request, and does so from the very frontier of the Haitian collapse. We also appeal for the political, financial, and operational support of Latin America and the Caribbean for the mission in Haiti. This is a country in our region, which demands shared responsibility as neighbors.

It is important to make clear that the Dominican Republic will continue protecting its territorial integrity and enforcing its national immigration regime. No State can be reproached for defending its borders or for guaranteeing the security of its citizens. We cannot and must not bear alone the weight of a crisis that exceeds any national capacity. It is not sustainable, nor safe for anyone. Every day of inaction moves the solution to the crisis further away — let us act now!

Friends,

For Small Island Developing States, the triple planetary crisis — climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution — is an existential threat. This crisis in the Caribbean has a concrete face: sargassum, a devastating phenomenon that affects our coasts, public health, and livelihoods. We demand solidarity and climate justice, translated into accessible financing, technology transfer, and urgent action to protect our oceans.

The Dominican Republic is moving toward ratification of the BBNJ Treaty, convinced that protecting marine biodiversity is a shared duty. The seas are a source of life, and caring for them is caring for our future.

Distinguished delegates,

This eightieth anniversary must not be a ritual of nostalgia, but a vibrant call to renew humanity's alliance with itself. Although we are not facing a world war, the world bleeds on multiple fronts, and uncertainty extends like a shadow. This is not the future our forebears dreamed of, nor the present our peoples deserve. The UN cannot limit itself to recording crises: it must be a compass in the storm and a lighthouse in the night. We hope that faith in dialogue and consensus, in the power of multilateralism, in human dignity, and in progress that excludes no one, does not fade. Power without justice and progress without equity are illusions. The world cannot continue to be a blueprint drawn by a handful of architects, inhabited by millions of tenants. A world designed for the few would be a punishment; one designed by and for all would be a horizon of shared prosperity.

The Dominican Republic raises its voice to kindle hope and call for action. Let peace not be a wish, but a decision made by all.

That is our cry. That is our dream. That must be our common pact.

Thank you very much.