Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

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Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
international support for electoral observers and for NGOs in
areas such as labor, women's rights, and environmental issues.
The country's major trade relations are with the United
States, its primary partner, and with Japan, Venezuela, Mexico,
and the European Union. In addition to sustaining diplomatic
relations with these countries, the Dominican Republic maintains
embassies throughout the Western Hemisphere and in
selected other countries, including the Republic of China (Taiwan)
and Israel.
The Dominican Republic is a signatory to the Charter of the
Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American
Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (the Rio Treaty), the Pact of
Bogota, and all major inter-American conventions. Historically,
its ties to and involvement in the OAS were stronger than its
relations with the United Nations (UN) although under President
Fernandez this is changing.
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The Dominican Republic is a member of the UN and its Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
(ECLAC), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO),
and the International Court ofJustice. It subscribes to the IMF,
the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC
see Glossary), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB),
the International Development Association (IDA—see Glossary),
and the International Telecommunications Satellite
Organization (Intelsat) . It is also a participant in the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Universal Postal
Union (UPU), and the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU), and is a member of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Dominican Republic faces significant foreign policy
challenges. Under President Balaguer, the country had a low
international profile and increasingly tense relations with the
United States. Because of his age and his health, President Balaguer
traveled abroad very little. A conservative nationalist,
President Balaguer accepted the fact that the Dominican
Republic was in the sphere of influence of the United States,
yet he also resented its presence and its influence. Relations
became especially tense around questions of democratic elections
and also with regard to Haiti, particularly when the
United States was seeking to force the Haitian military to leave
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