The Dominican Republic, represented by its Minister of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos, has assumed the presidency of the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) for the 2026–2027 term.
The appointment was confirmed during the 16th IRENA Assembly, held from 10 to 12 January in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, consolidating the Caribbean nation’s growing profile within the global renewable energy agenda.
This milestone comes at a time when the Dominican Republic has more than tripled its installed renewable energy capacity since 2020, with clean sources now covering around 25% of national electricity demand, according to official data.
Speaking virtually to the Assembly, Minister Santos said the country assumes the presidency with a strong sense of responsibility and a clear focus on results. He stressed that IRENA must help accelerate a sustainable, fair and inclusive energy transition, aligned with the national and regional realities of its member states.
The IRENA Assembly brings together 169 member states and the European Union, positioning it as the leading multilateral forum for advancing the global energy transition through renewable energy deployment, international cooperation, financing mobilisation and capacity building across developed and developing economies.
In the Dominican Republic’s case, Santos explained that recent progress has been underpinned by a more modern regulatory framework, the attraction of responsible investment and evidence-based energy planning. These pillars have turned the energy transition into a long-term public policy and a key component of both energy security and macroeconomic stability.
A Caribbean- and people-centred transition
Looking ahead, Santos underlined that the Dominican presidency will promote a people-centred and action-oriented vision of IRENA, with particular sensitivity to the needs of the Global South, small island states and more vulnerable economies.
He highlighted the Caribbean’s exposure to climate change, extreme weather events and emerging threats such as the massive accumulation of sargassum seaweed, which he described as a structural, transboundary challenge with environmental, social, economic and energy implications.
As a priority initiative, the Dominican Republic will push for a High-Level Global Forum on Energy Transition, aimed at mobilising political leadership and strategic partners to accelerate Sargassum-to-Energy (S2E) solutions. The objective is to turn this environmental challenge into a sustainable development opportunity, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
In parallel, the country announced plans to work with the IRENA Secretariat on a Regional Investment Forum, designed to foster dialogue between member states, financial institutions, the private sector and strategic partners. The forum will focus on unlocking financing, addressing regulatory and financial bottlenecks, and improving the bankability and readiness of renewable energy projects.
Innovation, digitalisation and 2030 targets
On the institutional front, Santos reaffirmed his commitment to integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital solutions, to strengthen IRENA’s planning processes, transparency, resource mobilisation and internal management.
He also reiterated the Dominican Republic’s support for global targets to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, emphasising the need to translate these commitments into concrete projects, effective technical assistance and accessible financing for developing countries.
About the Assembly
The 16th IRENA Assembly was held under the theme “Energising humanity: renewable energy for shared prosperity” and brought together ministers, senior officials and international experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the global energy transition.
The Dominican delegation was led on site by Betty Soto, Vice Minister for Innovation and Energy Transition, who represented Minister Santos throughout the Assembly proceedings.
