42 | Report on the Situation of Human Rights in the Dominican Republic 71. 72. 73. that “the Dominican Government reiterates its policy of nondiscrimination and nonexclusion for any kind of reason, by mandate of the Dominican Constitution and it laws, and its firm commitment to continue building a society that provides opportunities for the progress and well-being of all of its inhabitants.” 58 Furthermore, the State regretted that the IACHR had not given greater recognition to other decisions and actions taken by Dominican public authorities aimed at continuing to build up human rights in the country. Concretely, the State expressed its surprise at the failure to focus more on the actions taken by the Dominican State in the framework of the National Plan to Regularize Foreigners with an Irregular Status, “as a result of which more than 200,000 persons have been regularized or are in the process of regularizing their migratory status in the country.” 59 The State contended that the actions taken with respect to migratory regularization are “very important decisions taken by the State in a regional and global context where few States have shown the will to provide legal channels for regularizing their migrant population.” 60 Likewise, the State indicated that “after a collective effort such as this one [with reference to Law 169-14 and the National Plan to Regularize Foreigners], it is important to strike a fair balance about what had been achieved. And the debate should not be allowed to remain exclusively in the hands of the sectors that are the most polarized. Because there are certain organizations and media that seem intent on conjuring up in present-day Dominican Republic the fears of other historical times, which fortunately have already passed. And, on the far opposite end of the spectrum, there are also sectors that call themselves nationalistic but have a very petty vision of the Homeland and would like the Dominican Republic to be like a fortress and exclusionary.”61 The State also regretted that more time had not been provided to review and comment the present report in view of the wide variety of issues, as well as information, considerations, and judgments that would have required consulting many state institutions that are tackling the problems being dealt with in the report. 62 74. The Commission appreciates the willingness of the Dominican State to submit its comments and provide information in relation to this report. Specific observations to this report will be reflected as appropriate and in the respective sections.. 58 59 60 61 62 Observations of the Dominican State on the “Draft Report of the Situation of Human Rights in the Dominican Republic is forwarded.” December 21, 2015, p. 16. Ibid., p. 16. Ibid., p. 2. Idem. Dominican Republic, Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the Organization of American States. Note MP-RD-OEA 1395-15: Note whereby the note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Observations of the Dominican State on the “Draft Report of the Situation of Human Rights in the Dominican Republic is forwarded.” December 21, 2015, pp. 8-9. Ibid., p. 2. Organization of American States | OAS