New York, USA, – The Minister of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM), Víctor -Ito- Bisonó, headed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the World Economic Forum, in an event held at the Forum’s offices in New York.
The event was attended by Ms. Marisol Argueta, Senior Director for Latin America and member of the Executive Committee; Clemence Schmid, Director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP); and Christian Kaufholz, Head of Impact and Community Engagement at GPAP.
This agreement formalizes the collaboration between both institutions for the development of the National Action Platform for Plastics in the Dominican Republic (NPAP Dominican Republic), as part of the GPAP initiative.
“Today, the Dominican Republic is taking a firm step towards the future, betting on an economic model that prioritizes sustainability and innovation. Thanks to the collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the clear and decisive vision of President Luis Abinader, we are building the foundations of a country that cares for its environment and promotes economic development in a balanced way and in harmony with nature,” said the Dominican minister.
Following the signing, a dialogue was held to further explore the details of the initiative and explore other relevant aspects of the collaboration.
Through this joint effort, we seek to establish a platform aimed at implementing sustainable solutions that encourage the reduction of plastic pollution and promote a circular economy in the Dominican Republic.
The main actions include the development of strategies to optimize the use of plastics, focusing on waste reduction, recycling, reuse, and the promotion of more responsible production and consumption models.
The collaboration will focus on ensuring that the proposed solutions are viable not only from an environmental perspective, but also socially and economically, with the aim of generating a positive and lasting impact on the country’s industries and communities.
As part of the actions to materialize the alliance, a high-level meeting was held at the offices of the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations.
On this occasion, Minister Bisonó, Clemence Schmid, Marisol Argueta and leaders of the Dominican plastics sector and academia participated.
Among them, Manuel Diez, president of Grupo Diesco; Álvaro Sousa, director of Corporate Affairs of the same entity; Christian Farach, president of Grupo Farach; José Singer, president of Termo Envases; Mario Pujols, vice president of AIRD; Pedro Arias, director of the ALPLA Caribbean Cluster; Pedro Redondo, executive director of Plastidel, and José María Munné Cáceres, executive director of ADIPLAST.
During the meeting, the next steps of the NPAP Dominican Republic were defined, including the creation of a roadmap to reduce plastic pollution through a comprehensive diagnosis of the current situation in the country.
The importance of private sector support to ensure compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was also highlighted, and concrete actions to mitigate plastic pollution were discussed.
This agreement reinforces the Dominican Government’s commitment to sustainable development, while boosting the competitiveness of its industry and jointly and strategically addressing global environmental challenges.
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP)
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) is a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to advancing commitments and actions to reduce plastic pollution and waste. Its purpose is to help build a more sustainable and inclusive world by eradicating plastic pollution.
