The president highlighted that the FAO confirmed the Dominican Republic’s exit from the Hunger Map and emphasized to the General Assembly the reduction in poverty, the growth of foreign investment, and the record in exports.
NEW YORK.– President Luis Abinader highlighted this Wednesday before the 81st session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly that the Dominican Republic reached its Zero Hunger goal ahead of schedule, initially set for 2028.
During his speech before world leaders gathered in New York, Abinader highlighted that two months ago the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) confirmed that the Dominican Republic has been removed from the Hunger Map.
“We had committed to reaching the Zero Hunger goal by 2028. We achieved it sooner,” stated the head of state.
The FAO reported in July that the Dominican Republic reduced the prevalence of undernourishment to below 2.5%, the threshold used by the organization to identify countries that effectively exit the Hunger Map.
Highlights poverty reduction
When presenting the country’s economic and social results, Abinader maintained that monetary poverty went from 25.8% in 2019 to 14.6% during the first semester of 2026.
“The Dominican Republic has worked to fulfill essential commitments required by our people and can show results,” the president stated.
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Abinader also highlighted the country’s economic performance and assured that for four consecutive years the Dominican Republic received more than US$4 billion annually in foreign direct investment, while in 2025 that figure exceeded US$5 billion for the first time.
Likewise, he pointed out that exports reached a record of nearly US$16 billion, results he attributed to legal certainty, institutional stability, and confidence in the country.
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Tourism to exceed 12 million visitors
The ruler also highlighted the growth of Dominican tourism and stated that the country went from receiving 7.5 million visitors in 2019 to projecting more than 12 million during 2026.
According to Abinader, peace, investments in new infrastructure, and the hospitality of the Dominican people have contributed to the sustained growth of that activity.
Demand new conditions for middle-income countries
During his speech, Abinader also raised before the international community the need to review the mechanisms used to determine the access of middle-income countries to concessional financing.
The president argued that a nation’s economic progress should not become an obstacle to accessing the resources necessary to continue its development.
In that sense, he called for moving towards a framework that allows measuring the progress of countries beyond gross domestic product and incorporating the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index into the criteria used by international financial institutions.
“Because what is not measured does not enter into decisions; and what does not enter into decisions is not addressed,” he emphasized.
Abinader’s intervention is part of the Dominican participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which brings together heads of State and Government and other high-level representatives in New York this week to address major international challenges.
