NEW YORK — Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader announced Tuesday that the country’s landmark public-private development partnership, Meta RD 2036, is hitting key milestones as the nation works toward its ambitious goal of doubling the national economy by 2036. Speaking to members of the press following the close of the International Forum Meta RD 2036 for Full Development, Abinader outlined how the cross-sector initiative has evolved into a recurring coordination mechanism, bringing public and private stakeholders together each month to assess progress, unmet needs, and policy adjustments required to keep the 15-year development strategy on track.
In highlighting the initiative’s early successes, Abinader pointed to notable reductions in national poverty levels. Official data shows the country’s poverty rate dropped sharply from 25.9% in 2019 to 17% as of last year, with continued downward projections for 2024. Beyond domestic economic and social progress, the president also shared a major international recognition for the Dominican Republic’s food security gains: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will formally honor the country for meeting the UN’s Zero Hunger target.
The official award ceremony and certificate presentation will take place on October 10 in Rome, Italy. FAO has already verified that the Dominican Republic has cut the population share experiencing undernourishment to below the global threshold that the UN body uses to define widespread hunger, marking a critical win for the country’s public health and social development efforts. This dual progress on economic expansion and food security positions the Dominican Republic as a case study in aligned long-term planning and inclusive development.