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The Authority of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has expressed “collective abhorrence” at the Sept. 23 ruling of the Constitutional Court in the Dominican Republic that effectively renders stateless, thousands of persons, mostly of Haitian descent, born in the Dominican Republic after 1929.

“The decision of the Constitutional Court is repulsive and discriminatory,” the OECS Authority said in a statement after its 58th Meeting Montserrat on Monday.

“We deeply regret the failure of the Government of the Dominican Republic to take corrective measures,” the Authority said, and called on the larger Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to suspend immediately any consideration of the application by the Dominican Republic for membership of CARICOM.

“Further, until this injustice has been addressed, the Member States of the OECS would find it extremely difficult to engage with the Dominican Republic in various fora including within the councils of the Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (CARIFORUM),” the Authority further said in the statement.

“Equally, consideration ought to be accorded by the relevant authorities to the continued participation in the Petrocaribe Agreement of the Dominican Republic until a credible plan of corrective measures be elaborated for implementation in the shortest possible time by the Government of the Dominican Republic regarding the issue at hand.

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“We also call on other regional and hemispheric organisations such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to speak out unequivocally in condemnation of this ruling. The individual and collective voices of all who believe in and are committed to human rights and justice for all must now be raised to urge the Dominican Republic to right this terrible wrong,” the statement said.