Suriname

Allow me to join previous speakers in congratulating Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. We welcome his efforts to promote the goals of the United Nations and to act as a bridge between the developed and the developing world. We pledge our full support and cooperation as he steers the work of this session. I would also like to thank Mr. Joseph Deiss for having guided us with much efficiency through the proceedings of the past session. We wish him well in his future endeavours. To Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has been elected once again at the helm of our Organization, we continue to extend our support and cooperation. We welcome our newest Member State, the Republic of South Sudan, to the family of nations. The United Nations was founded on the fundamental belief that collective action can serve our collective security. That steadfast principle is even more essential in addressing the many challenges that threaten world peace today. In Ambassador Al-Nasser’s inaugural statement as President, he referred to the enormous political, social, economic and environmental challenges facing the world (see A/65/PV.103). I could not agree with him more. Pandemics such as AIDS, malaria and non-communicable diseases; threats related to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, human trafficking, the illicit trade in and use of small arms and light weapons and the illicit drug trade; and the risks posed by climate change and the continuing vulnerability of our women and youth all call upon us to deepen our cooperation and strengthen our international institutions. Although some citizens in developing countries enjoy good living standards, the realization of sustainable development in many of those countries 11-50871 20 remains unattainable. Achieving social justice for all represents the most basic humanitarian challenge of our times. In order to move the world further along the path of compassion, solidarity and shared responsibility, that goal deserves our highest attention. As the world becomes more intertwined, the impact of climate change in one country or region is affecting the prosperity and security of others as well. As responsible citizens of this precious planet, we must stand united behind the collective goal to preserve our world for current and future generations. Our understanding of climate change suggests that our planet will undergo considerable changes over the next 50 years, impacting all areas of society. For Suriname, with its low-lying coastline, that means a vulnerable exposure to a rising sea level, risking inundation of our fertile soil and freshwater reservoirs. With 80 per cent of Suriname’s population living in the coastal area, our ability to produce food and guarantee food security will be in serious jeopardy. For countries such as ours, it is therefore of paramount importance that the international community honour its commitments, realize the speedy implementation of the Cancún Agreements and honour its pledges to the Special Climate Change Fund and the Adaptation Fund. We cannot afford for the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban to fail to produce concrete agreements and targets on reducing emissions, which would lead to a halt or drastically reduce the rising temperature on the planet. We owe that to our present and we owe that to our future generations. We call upon all parties concerned to reach an agreement. Suriname now stands at a crossroads in its efforts to attain sustainable development. We resolve to promote an investment-friendly environment, with prudent fiscal and monetary policies that are aimed at securing macroeconomic stability in the medium and long terms. Allow me to outline the main objectives of our development strategy. We intend to maintain real economic growth and raise per capita income, while simultaneously promoting a more equitable income distribution. We will further develop the mining sector as the engine of economic growth in the short and medium terms. We plan to move away from a commodity-based economy and focus on the diversification of our economy and increased investment in other sectors, such as the agro-industry, tourism, services, transport, infrastructure and housing. We will invest in our human capital, which is our most important resource. In that context, Suriname will strengthen its national capacities to enhance our the utilization of our abundant natural resources for the benefit of its people. We are well aware that we cannot move forward in isolation. We recognize the strategic interest of international cooperation to complement national development policies. In that process, we are strongly committed to the objectives of such regional organizations as the Caribbean Community and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Despite the current international financial crisis — which is not of our making — Suriname’s present economic outlook remains favourable. Improper management of the world crisis, however, will have negative consequences on our economy. We are pleased with the UNASUR proposal for a complete restructuring of the international financial system, with the participation of all nations in the decision-making process. The time has come to bring an end to the practice of decision-making by only a few, which has had disastrous consequences for the majority of the peoples of the world. For countries such as Suriname, with small, open economies, it remains of vital importance to continue on the path of prudent macroeconomic policies and economic diversification. Since it is understood that sustainable development can be attained only in a safe environment, it is crucial to preserve international peace and security. Armed conflicts, interference in the domestic affairs of States, terrorism and transnational crime — including drug-related crime and the illegal traffic in and use of small arms and light weapons — only derail our efforts to address the challenges that we are faced with today. At the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly, we are once again called on to reflect on the spirit of our Charter as it relates to the assurance of international peace, security and development. The theme for this session, “The role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means”, is most fitting, since mediation can and should become one of the most effective instruments in international conflict resolution. The failure to recognize and apply the principles of equity and justice in international 21 11-50871 relations has resulted in unacceptable situations. Those have brought about extreme poverty, further marginalization, increasingly brutal forms of criminality and destruction of the environment. At the same time, we increasingly witness acts of war and intervention in many parts of the world. Such armed conflicts are sometimes preceded by a mandate of our very own Security Council, with disregard for the consequences of destruction, loss of life and human suffering. Suriname wishes to draw urgent attention to the stipulations of Article 33 in Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, which in our opinion have not been consistently applied. That failure has resulted in an unnecessary continuation of violence on the African continent. I also express concern regarding the situation in Somalia, where severe famine has taken the lives of tens of thousands and continues to be a threat to thousands more. We must ask ourselves if the architects of the acts of war on that same continent — under the pretext of the protection of human rights — could not better have used those precious resources in the fight against famine. Furthermore, the Security Council should be a forum for dialogue and action, fully responsive to current and future global challenges, and should not be permitted to bypass the efforts of regional institutions that aim to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes. In particular, when outbursts of violence occur, peaceful efforts should never be hindered or neglected. On a special note, it is of great concern that approximately 18 months after the disastrous earthquake in Haiti, the recovery efforts on that island nation are stagnating. We therefore call upon the international community to honour its pledges and continue to support the efforts of the Haitian people to reconstruct their homeland. Suriname reaffirms the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to an independent State of Palestine, as endorsed by the General Assembly in December 2010 (see resolution 65/202). Suriname has responded to the plight of the Palestinian people and has taken the decision to recognize Palestine as a sovereign State, worthy of becoming a full-fledged Member of this world Organization. We also reiterate our concern about the persistence of the imposition of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. Those measures continue to cause hardship for the Cuban people and to have adverse effects on the just development of that country. How many more resolutions need to be adopted before justice can be done for the people of Cuba? Suriname once more calls on the States Members of the United Nations to vehemently reject the unilaterally imposed embargo on this nation. In closing, the provisions and the spirit enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations remain valid as an instrument for promoting international peace, security and development. As Members, we have the moral obligation to continue to live up to the provisions of our Charter, taking into consideration the demands of changing times in a changing world. We must, however, ensure that unity and justice reign among all nations.