Dominican Republic Faces OECD Scrutiny Over Governance and Accountability Gaps

The OECD presented its integrity assessment of the Dominican Republic on September 30, finding that while the country has robust regulations on paper, it implements them inconsistently in practice, achieving only 22 percent compliance compared to the OECD average of 45 percent. The assessment identified critical gaps including the absence of a lobbying register, inadequate whistleblower protections, and insufficient controls on political donations. President Luis Abinader attended the presentation, which supports the nation's bid to join the OECD.

The Dominican Republic is pursuing membership in the OECD, an international organization of 38 predominantly affluent nations headquartered in Paris. The integrity assessment revealed a significant disparity between the country's regulatory framework and its enforcement capacity. While the nation scores comparably to OECD standards on paper—meeting 78 percent of regulatory criteria—its practical implementation lags substantially at 22 percent compliance, well below the organization's 45 percent average across member states.

The study identified several institutional vulnerabilities requiring legislative action. Most notably, the country currently operates without any legal framework governing lobbying activities, leaving such influence largely undocumented. Additionally, mechanisms for protecting individuals who report wrongdoing lack cohesion and adequate safeguards, while oversight of campaign financing remains insufficient to prevent potential abuse of political donation systems.