The Dominican Republic is a middle-income country with a primarily service-based economy. The country has a high urbanization rate and suffers from land degradation. Poverty is widespread in the country, particularly in those communities located on the border with Haiti.
The Constitution of the Dominican Republic of 2010 grants the right to property. It states that land must be used for useful purposes and it calls for the integration of rural people in the national development process. The Real Property Registry Law of 2005 established the procedures and institutions for the adjudication and registration of property rights, further specifying the functions of the Supreme Court for the administration of land. The 2000 Dominican Republic Environmental and Natural Resource Law sets the principles for the implementation of development plans.
Disputes over land are generally due to competing claims based on title documents, occupation of land, land invasion and issues related to land seizures. These disputes contribute to the persistence of tenure insecurity. Claims over land are usually resolved by the Land Courts, which have demonstrated a high level of efficiency in resolving land disputes.