Dominican Republic improved five steps in the 2023 Global Peace Index report

Santo Domingo.- In a recent meeting led by President Luis Abinader with heads of State security institutions, Joel Santos, the Minister of the Presidency, shared updates on the Dominican Republic’s progress in the Global Peace Index 2023. The report, compiled by the Institute for Economy and Peace (IEP), shows the Dominican Republic improving its ranking.

• Global Peace Index Improvement: In the 2023 report, the Dominican Republic advanced five places compared to 2022, moving from 88th to 83rd out of 163 countries. Santos highlighted this as a significant year-over-year improvement, noting that the latest gains in citizen security were not yet incorporated due to the cut-off time of the study.
• Positive Outlook for Future Reports: Santos expressed confidence that the Dominican Republic could further improve its position in next year’s report. He emphasized that the country’s efforts in combating crime and enhancing citizen security are moving in the right direction, as recognized by international organizations.
• Reduction in Homicide Rate: Santos also provided data on the country’s reduction in the annual accumulated value of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, which decreased by 0.1 to 11.5. This reduction represents a decrease of 1.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants compared to last year’s result of 13.1.
• Efforts Against Micro-trafficking: The fight against micro-trafficking was noted as successful, with 484,000 grams of various substances seized in November alone. Since August 2020, seizures have exceeded two million grams.
• Meeting Attendance and Strategies: The meeting was also attended by Carolina Mejía, the mayor of the National District. Discussions included strategies for the National District and the work of the Joint Task Force for December activities. Strategies to control vehicle thefts in the National District were also discussed.
• National Lighting Program: Santos mentioned the lighting program coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior and Police, covering 12 provinces to date. La Romana, La Altagracia, and Espaillat will be the next provinces to join this program, enhancing public safety through improved lighting.

These updates reflect the Dominican Republic’s ongoing commitment to improving safety and security nationwide, contributing to its improved standing in the Global Peace Index and its efforts to further enhance the well-being of its citizens.