[{"bbox": [135, 153, 1134, 207], "category": "List-item", "text": "* The budget support operation “Transition to a greener and more inclusive economy”⁵ (13 M EUR, AAP 2022);"}, {"bbox": [135, 210, 518, 236], "category": "List-item", "text": "* EFSD+ operations (under definition);"}, {"bbox": [135, 238, 989, 265], "category": "List-item", "text": "* EUMS (ongoing/future) investments in water, transport, and green and circular economy."}, {"bbox": [135, 267, 1134, 320], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Regional, thematic, and capacity building programmes (such as i.e., EUROCLIMA, Taiex projects, Human Rights and Civil Society)."}, {"bbox": [97, 339, 1107, 394], "category": "Text", "text": "This action will also support the **Team Europe Initiative** (TEI) (by EU, EIB, DE, ES, FR) “Green and sustainable transition in the Dominican Republic”, as well as the implementation of the **GGIA** for the country."}, {"bbox": [97, 439, 453, 466], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Political and socio-economic context**"}, {"bbox": [97, 493, 186, 518], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Political:**"}, {"bbox": [97, 519, 1134, 680], "category": "Text", "text": "DR is a like-minded country and an ally on a range of key EU policy priorities. As a stable, constitutional democracy and a proponent of multilateralism, DR recognizes the EU as a valuable partner, and plays a key bridging role with the Caribbean and Central America (member of both CARIFORUM and SICA). The deteriorating situation in Haiti is the single most important foreign policy issue, which has repeatedly prompted the Dominican President Abinader to vocally call on the regional and international community to step up engagement with Haiti."}, {"bbox": [97, 704, 1134, 760], "category": "Text", "text": "President Abinader’s victory in the 2020 elections introduced an alternation in power, and marks the start of an ambitious reform agenda, with fight against corruption and institutional and public policy transparency at its heart."}, {"bbox": [97, 783, 1134, 891], "category": "Text", "text": "Some challenges persist in relation to human rights protection and in terms of transparency.⁶ Although the DR has ratified several international human rights instruments related to women’s rights (CEDAW, CCPR), gender disparities exist in women’s participation in politics: as of February 2021, 27.9% of seats in parliament were held by women.⁷⁸"}, {"bbox": [97, 916, 525, 941], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Socio-economic and environmental context:**"}, {"bbox": [97, 943, 1134, 1131], "category": "Text", "text": "The DR is the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central America (7th largest in Latin America and the Caribbean – LAC). With its 6 Free Trade Agreements ongoing at present, including the EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), it is an open and business-oriented economy with sustained economic growth over the last decades. Using the country’s political stability, economic growth and strategic geographic location with excellent connectivity infrastructure, the government also gives priority to facilitating and attracting further private and foreign investments. The DR’s current political and economic context is particularly conducive for the Global Gateway Investment Agenda, especially in areas related to the green transition."}, {"bbox": [97, 1155, 1134, 1316], "category": "Text", "text": "Significant inequalities however persist, with 70.2% of the population being considered poor or vulnerable. Gender inequalities in the DR are extremely important as they lead to social and economic losses. The DR has scarce opportunities for youth entering the job market. More than 50% of the workforce is informal. When affected by poverty and inequity, the population with disabilities (1,160,847 people or 12% of the population) is also faced with stigmatization and social exclusion, furthering their vulnerability, including access to basic services.⁹ Territorial inequalities are high, as most wealth is concentrated in the biggest cities."}, {"bbox": [85, 1380, 1144, 1451], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ The budget support operation “Transition to a greener and more inclusive economy” (13 million EUR, adopted as AAP 2022 on 16 December 2022) is in its final stages of definition with the DR Government. Its first important contribution is facilitating the effort of coordination."}, {"bbox": [85, 1452, 1108, 1477], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ According to the 2022 *Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index*, DR ranks 123th out of 180 countries."}, {"bbox": [85, 1478, 1106, 1526], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://data.unwomen.org/country/dominican-republic#:~:text=In%20the%20Dominican%20Republic%2C%2083.3,parliament%20were%20held%20by%20women."}, {"bbox": [85, 1526, 1143, 1573], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR)"}, {"bbox": [85, 1573, 1110, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Building national capacities for achieving social inclusion of persons with disabilities in the areas of education, employment, and participation in the Dominican Republic.\nhttps://unprpd.org/programme/dominican_republic"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1144, 1707], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 14"}]