At the 31st Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), held this week in Panama City, regional representatives voted to appoint the Dominican Republic as chair of the organization’s Special Committee on Trade Development and External Economic Relations for the 2026–2027 term.
The Dominican delegation at the gathering was headed by Carmen Elena Ibarra Toledano, who attended the meeting on behalf of Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez. In its new leadership role, the Caribbean nation will lead and coordinate cross-regional initiatives to expand trade flows and deepen economic integration across the ACS’s 25 member states and dependent territories. As the only regional integration body that spans the entire Greater Caribbean, the ACS relies on its specialized committees to advance collaborative policy and development goals across the bloc.
The selection of the Dominican Republic for the chairmanship is widely interpreted as a clear signal of the bloc’s recognition of the country’s longstanding active engagement in Caribbean regional affairs. It also highlights the Dominican Republic’s consistent commitment to multilateral collaboration, inclusive economic integration, and equitable sustainable development across the Greater Caribbean. This new appointment adds to the country’s existing leadership portfolio within the ACS, where it currently serves as vice chair of the organization’s Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction. The dual roles are expected to reinforce the Dominican Republic’s growing influence and strategic leadership position across the entire regional bloc.