On 15 and 16 July 2014, UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, visited the Dominican Republic, accompanied by important representatives of the organization. During the two days of their stay, the distinguished visitor had the opportunity to network with representatives from both government and civil society.

The President of the Dominican Republic, Lic. Danilo Medina, accompanied by several cabinet ministers, including the Minister of the Presidency, Mr. Gustavo Montalvo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ing. Carlos Morales Troncoso and Minister Administrative, Mr. Jose Ramon Peralta, greeted the illustrious visitor at the National Palace on the day of his arrival.

After receiving Mr. Ban Ki-moon, President Medina accompanied him on a press conference with the national media. Delivering a welcoming speech, President Medina said, among other things, that the collaboration between the country and the United Nations will strengthen in areas such as: the fight against poverty, climate change, food security and education, among others.

The President said, "This meeting served to confirm that we share goals and purposes: to work for the welfare of people, especially those who have less. And to always do it searching for lasting and sustainable solutions that enable building more prosperous and just societies."

President Medina gave a brief account of the issues contained in the National Development Strategy and the actions and policies that the Dominican government drives to achieve the goals having this legal instrument as a guide.

He referred to the efforts and concern of the Dominican Republic about climate change and the protection of the population at risk, while informing of the impulse and promotion that the country is giving to the HOPEFOR initiative to respond to natural disasters, as the Caribbean is one of the most vulnerable regions to natural phenomena.

He also requested the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, the support of the United Nations in the area of ​​education, in which he described broadly the transformation that the Dominican education is experiencing, an area in which "the whole country is united around the goal of bringing quality education to all Dominicans."

"In that sense, I would like to take this opportunity to express our interest to explore, through the United Nations, the opportunities for collaboration in teacher training, content design, educational materials and, ultimately, all the possible help to ensure that those 8 hours of class are exploited to the fullest."

The UN Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, acknowledging the warm reception received from President Medina and the Dominican people, congratulated President Danilo Medina for the achievements of the Government to ensure education and substantial investments in favor of teachers, and hoped that the goal will be to invest 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), because more resources "is better" for having educated human resources and a better country.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon also assessed as positive the immigrant regularization policy launched by President Danilo Medina and said that "it is essential that the Dominican and Haitian governments cooperate closely to provide national ownership for those Haitians who live and work in the Dominican Republic.”

Similarly, the UN Secretary General congratulated President Danilo Medina for his leadership in the adoption of the Naturalization Act and the National Reorganization Plan, thereby regulating the status of foreign descent Dominicans, Haitians and other nationalities living in the country.

"It is important to recognize Dominican nationality of these people," said Ban Ki-moon. Delivering remarks at the Hall of Ambassadors, with President Medina, he urged the Dominican authorities to continue working to protect human rights.

Posterior, the Secretary General of the United Nations, visiting the headquarters of the National Congress, congratulated the institution for passing a law (169-14) that aims to address the human problem that thousands of people of foreign origin face. Delivering a speech in the hall of the National Assembly during a joint session of both houses, the diplomat said that maintaining peace and stability is a central purpose of the United Nations.

As part of the activities of Mr. Ban Ki-moon and his delegation, his wife Mrs. Yoo Soon-taek Moon scored as impressive the structure of the Comprehensive Care Center for Disability (CAID), and the tasks that are performed in this great project of the Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Candida Montilla de Medina.

Mrs. Yoo Soon-taek Moon visited the facilities of CAID, where she was greeted by the First Lady, Mrs. Medina de Montilla, the technical coordinator of the office, Mrs. Martha Rodriguez and the director of the center, Mr. Moisés Taveras.

The First Lady and the wife of the Secretary General of the UN discussed the programs and projects undertaken by the Office of the First Lady and the impact they have in the human development index of the population.

By offering her assessment of CAID, Mrs. Soon-taek said: "I ​​feel the professional touch of the First Lady in every corner, in every part of this center. Her love and her presence, her heart is always present. You can feel her energy and love for children. I am very impressed with all the professionalism here."

Mrs. Montilla de Medina welcomed the visit of Mrs. Yoo Soon-taek and said: "We want that the guest of honor has the opportunity to meet the specialized areas of our center and that you, journalists, for the first time could appreciate the value of this great project".