The Right to Food around the Globe

  Dominican Republic

The Constitution of the Dominican Republic does not explicitly guarantee the right to adequate food.

The Dominican Republic has become a State party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1978 by way of accession.

CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITIONS OF THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE FOOD

National status of international obligations

Article 26: International relations and international lawThe Dominican Republic is a State member of the international community, open to cooperation and tied to the norms of international law, consequently: 1. It recognizes and applies the norms of international law, general and American, in the method in which its public powers have adopted them; 2. The norms in effect from international ratified agreements shall rule in the internal realm, once published in an official manner; 3. The international relations of the Dominican Republic are based and ruled by the affirmation and promotion of its national values and interests, respect for human rights and international law; 4. In equality of conditions with other States, the Dominican Republic accepts an international judicial system that guarantees respect of fundamental rights, peace, justice, and political, social, economic and cultural development of nations. It promises to act on the international, regional, and national levels in a manner compatible with national interests, the peaceful coexistence between peoples and the duties of solidarity with all nations; 5. The Dominican Republic shall promote and favor integration with the nations of America, toward the end of strengthening a community of nations that defends the interests of the region. The State may enter into international treaties in order to promote the common development of the nations, that safeguard the well-being of the peoples and the collective security of their inhabitants, and in order to confer supranational organizations the required abilities to participate in processes of integration; 6. It declares itself in favor of economic solidarity between the countries of America and supports all initiatives in defense of its basic products, raw materials, and biodiversity. 

Article 74: Principles of regulation and interpretation - [...] 3. Treaties, pacts, and conventions related to human rights, adopted and ratified by the Dominican State have constitutional hierarchy and are for direct and immediate application by the courts and other organs of the State.

Other pertinent provisions for the realization of the right to adequate food

Artículo 8: “The effective protection of the rights of the person, the respect of their dignity and the securing of means that allow for their perfection in an egalitarian, equitable and progressive way, within a framework of individual liberty and social justice, compatible with the public order, the general well-being and the rights of all is an essential function of the State.”

Article 54: “The State shall promote research and the transference of technology for the production of foods and primary materials of agricultural origin, with the goal of increasing productivity and guaranteeing food security.”

Article 57: “The family, society, and the State shall come together for the protection and the assistance of elderly people and shall promote their integration into active community life. The State shall guarantee the services of integral social security and food subsidies in the case of poverty.”

Article 61.1: “The State should safeguard the protection of the health of all persons, access to potable water, improvement of nutrition, sanitation services, hygienic conditions, environmental cleanliness, as well as procure means for the prevention and treatment of all sicknesses, ensuring access to quality medication and giving medical and hospital assistance for free to those who need it."

Article 61.2: "The State shall guarantee, through legislation and public policies, the exercise of the economic and social rights of the low-income population and, consequently, shall lend its protection and assistance to vulnerable groups and sectors, shall fight social vices with the appropriate means and with the aid of international agreements and organizations.”

Artículo 62.9: “All workers have the right to a wage that is just and sufficient to permit them to live with dignity and cover the basic material, social, and intellectual needs of themselves and their families.[...]”

INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – 1948

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – 1966

Status: Accession (1978)

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) – 1979

Status: Ratification (1982)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – 1989

Status: Ratification (1991)

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – 2006

Status: Ratification (2009)

Legislation and policies recognizing the right to adequate food

Guidance on how to progressively realise the human right to adequate food in contexts of national food security has been provided by the Right to Food Guidelines, adopted by the FAO Council and endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security.

Considering that the human right to adequate food can be implemented through a variety of legal and policy actions, we invite you to visit the FAOLEX Country Profile database for a wide-ranging collection of measures that have been taken at national level. Some of the documents you may find are legislation and policies that touch on a number of relevant Guidelines, such as those on Access to resources and assets (Guideline 8), Food safety and consumer protection (Guideline 9), Support for vulnerable groups (Guideline 13) and Natural and human-made disasters (Guideline 16).

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