VIENNA, Austria. – Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) Justice María Garabito Ramírez, he stated that The Dominican Republic has strengthened its domestic legislation and now has a more autonomous, independent, transparent, and responsive judiciary, which plays a crucial role in international judicial cooperation.
He explained that the consolidation of the Dominican judiciary has facilitated extradition proceedings, mutual legal assistance, and asset recovery, as well as coordination with international organizations, which has helped divert the attention and interest of criminal elements in the Dominican Republic.
Judge Garabito Ramírez made those remarks while leading the Dominican delegation that participated in the Thirty-third session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, who was accompanied by Councilwoman Bionni Zayas Ledesma.
He also stated that, in the fight against organized crime, the Dominican Republic has strengthened its position through its participation in international and regional agreements, adhering to the implementation of the United Nations Rules and Standards on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, including the Bangkok, Nelson Mandela, and Beijing Rules; as well as the commitments made in the Kyoto Declaration toward the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“The Dominican government reaffirms the need to strengthen international cooperation as a means of preventing and combating crime in all its forms and manifestations, and calls on States to jointly implement effective strategies to respond to challenges and new emerging crimes, and to adopt appropriate measures to strengthen and modernize our justice systems,” said Judge Garabito Ramírez.
The judge, who serves on the Criminal Chamber of the SCJ, explained that in 2023, the country established the “Joint Task Force” to combat organized crime; in addition, measures have been implemented to improve transparency and accountability in government processes, as well as to investigate and punish cases of corruption.
In addition, the Dominican Republic has collaborated with international organizations and other countries to exchange best practices and strengthen its anti-corruption institutions.
Other initiatives highlighted by Garabito Ramírez that the country is promoting in the fight against corruption include the creation of the Department for the Prevention of Administrative Corruption in 1997, the establishment of the Advisory Council on Anti-Corruption under the Office of the President in 2006, the creation of the General Directorate of Public Procurement, and the creation of the General Directorate of Government Ethics and Integrity (DIGEIG), in 2012.
“This effort has been recognized in the report published by the independent civil society organization Global Initiative, based in Geneva, Switzerland, titled Global Organized Crime Index 2023 ((2023 Global Organized Crime Index), which highlights the significant progress made by the Dominican Republic in its fight against organized crime and transnational crimes; among the aspects evaluated positively are: a robust legal framework with safeguards for the protection of victims and witnesses; government efforts in anti-drug initiatives and the promotion of civil society participation; as well as the strengthening of the regulatory framework against money laundering,” he explained.
Judge Garabito Ramírez said that, together with the delegation accompanying her, she reiterates and reaffirms her interest in contributing to the discussions of the thematic debate with a view to defining concrete actions that will enable the management of international cooperation and technical assistance to effectively prevent and combat organized crime and other related offenses, drawing on the experience of other participating countries.
The delegation was accompanied by Angela Vigliotta Mella, the ambassador and permanent representative of the Dominican Republic to Austria.
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