It is an honour for me to address this gathering today, and on
behalf of the Government and people of the Republic
of Suriname I extend my congratulations to President
Kerim for having been entrusted the task of leading the
work of the General Assembly during this sixty-second
session. We pledge our full support and cooperation as
we collectively continue our work on the many
challenges the world is faced with today.
Allow me to salute your predecessor, Mrs. Haya
Rashed Al-Khalifa, for guiding the ongoing process of
reform of the United Nations and for her dedication
and commitment to the strengthening of
multilateralism.
To the newly appointed Secretary-General of the
Organization, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, we
pledge our support in furthering the ideals of the
Charter towards sustainable development, international
peace and security and respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms.
The current international scene predominantly
speaks about the devastating effects of climate change,
and also the recent findings of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change have confirmed the warming
of the climate system and have clearly linked it to
human activities.
The effects of climate change will be felt in all
parts of the world; however, the impact will be worse
in small and vulnerable States. Suriname is a low-lying
coastal country, and the majority of the population is
concentrated in the coastal zone, where most economic
activities, including fisheries, agriculture and
industries, are located. A sea level rise would therefore
be catastrophic for our country.
Taking into consideration the national interest in
exploiting natural resources, it is imperative for a
country to find a sound balance between economic
development and preservation of the environment.
Therefore, the Government has declared a substantial
part of our land area as a nature-preserve area,
including the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, which
has been designated as a World Heritage site by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO). Since the majority of our
land surface is covered by tropical rainforest, Suriname
contributes significantly to counterbalancing the effects
of global warming.
A global threat, however, justifies global action,
and the responsibility to provide an adequate answer
lies with all of us. We call on the international
community and development partners to increase their
efforts and to continue their technical and financial
support to developing countries to safeguard the world
environment for current and future generations.
The Government of Suriname remains committed
to realizing by 2015 the targets set forth in the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This
commitment is expressed in our policy documents. Not
only do we accept the challenge to achieve the MDGs,
but also a commitment towards our people to realize
sustainable economic and social development in every
part of the country, including the remote areas in the
interior, which are populated mainly by indigenous
peoples and maroons.
The Republic of Suriname places great
importance on the promotion and protection of human
rights and fundamental freedoms, including those of
indigenous peoples. With the historic adoption of the
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
recently, Suriname has joined the international
community in giving recognition to the rights of
indigenous peoples. I wish to note that in recognition
of the status of indigenous peoples as natives, the
Republic of Suriname has recently declared 9 August,
International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, as
a national holiday.
Surinamese society, which is multi-ethnic,
multilingual, multicultural and multireligious, attaches
great importance to tolerance and mutual respect. I
therefore commend the High-Level Dialogue on
Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and
Cooperation for Peace, which will start tomorrow.
I would like to recall that the slave trade and
slavery were among the worst violations of human
rights in human history, particularly given their scale
and duration. We call on the international community
to continue supporting the initiative of the Caribbean
Community to honour the memory of all those who
suffered as a result of the slave trade and slavery.
The United Nations is the supreme institution to
advance multilateral diplomacy. Suriname will
continue to advocate for the strengthening and
updating of the multilateral system, in order to
adequately address global issues in the areas of the
environment, energy, water, peace and security.
Suriname adheres to the rules of international
law. In this context the Government of Suriname
respects the award of the arbitral tribunal, which was
constituted to establish a maritime boundary between
Suriname and Guyana, pursuant to Annex VII of the
1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea. The award, which includes a finding of
jurisdiction to consider the parties’ maritime
delimitation claims, establishes a single maritime
boundary between Guyana and Suriname that differs
from the boundaries claimed by each of the parties.
Suriname is pleased that the rules of international law
have brought an end to a longstanding dispute.
In closing, I reiterate my country’s commitment
to achieving the objectives of the United Nations,
upholding the Charter and the rules of international
law, and contributing towards a genuine global
partnership.