On behalf of the
Government and the people of the Republic of
Suriname, I should like to take this opportunity to
extend to you, Madam, and to the Government and the
people of the Kingdom of Bahrain, my sincere
congratulations on your election to preside over the
General Assembly at its sixty-first session.
We express our gratitude to His Excellency
Mr. Jan Eliasson, President of the General Assembly at
its sixtieth session, for his contribution to the work of
the Organization. I should also like to pledge our
support to the Secretary-General, His Excellency
Mr. Kofi Annan, and to pay tribute to him for his
leadership, his valuable contribution to the resolution
of global challenges and his constructive role in
restructuring the United Nations.
In today’s world, guaranteeing necessary
infrastructure and ensuring the availability of health
services and education for all are still major
challenges. The world order continues to deny the vast
majority of the members of the international
community the opportunity to escape poverty and to
utilize their abilities and skills to achieve progress and
prosperity. There is a need for enhanced cooperation in
areas of relevance to humanity if we are to create an
international community that can offer all of its
members a fair chance of a decent life.
The call for an enabling international
environment for sustainable development and poverty
eradication is still a strong one. The international
community needs to support the call of the vast
majority of its members for fair terms of trade,
increased market access for products from the
developing countries and a more effective and
supportive international financial architecture.
Given the international state of affairs, Suriname
supports the implementation of the international global
partnership for development. The partnership for
development can obtain guidance for its decisions from
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the many commitments adopted at the major United
Nations conferences and summits in the economic,
social and related fields, in particular those reflected in
the Millennium Development Goals and the Monterey
Consensus. This partnership should aim to energize the
political will of all States to implement those
commitments and to create genuine opportunities for
all States in the field of trade, as well as for
investments that promote sustainable development and
poverty eradication.
My delegation continues to plead for a rule-
based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and
financial system, and for an international system that
promotes decent and productive work and extends the
benefits of new technology to all parts of the globe.
The focus of the partnership for development
must be the establishment of a supportive international
environment to achieve, in particular Millennium
Development Goal 8 and its targets.
Building a global partnership for development
will require the involvement and cooperation of all
stakeholders — Governments, the private sector and
civil society alike. The partnership should enhance the
involvement of the private sector, taking into account
the redefinition of the role of the private sector in
society, based on a common understanding of the
influence of business in spurring development and
improving the human condition.
The contribution of the private sector is pivotal to
a national policy geared towards enhancing human
capital and infrastructure and gaining access to world
markets. We note with satisfaction the leadership of the
United Nations in this area, and believe that the United
Nations Global Compact should collaborate with the
partnership for development. Civil society should
contribute actively to the partnership for development
at all levels, in particular at the national level. Its
activities should be in harmony with and
complementary to national development efforts.
The challenges we face in the area of
international peace and security are equally serious.
The increased efforts of the United Nations to save
humanity from the scourge of warfare are not always
successful. Too often the international community is
confronted with situations that seriously jeopardize the
safety of individuals and populations.
The Government of Suriname believes that there
is a need for us to realize that the United Nations is in
fact still our partnership for international peace and
security. This partnership should be based on the firm
determination of all States to cooperate in seeking fair
and lasting solutions to persistent problems that
adversely affect international peace and security.
Tolerance, mutual respect and mutual interest, leading
to the peaceful coexistence of States, good-
neighbourliness and unity in diversity, should be the
basic principles that guide the recommendations of the
partnership for international peace and security.
Recently, the General Assembly adopted the
United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
(resolution 60/288). This is certainly a step forward
towards an effective international response to
terrorism, in conformity with international law,
international human rights law and international
humanitarian law. My delegation notes with
satisfaction that the Strategy includes the promotion of
dialogue, tolerance and understanding among
civilizations. Of equal importance is the recognition
that capacity-building in all States is a core element of
the global counter-terrorism effort. In this regard, we
anticipate a genuine partnership being established to
implement the Strategy.
The illegal drugs trade and organized crime also
affect international security. Increased cooperation at
all levels is needed if the international community is to
be able to respond adequately to those threats. In this
connection, the Government of Suriname will host an
anti-narcotics conference in October 2006. The main
purpose of the conference is to enhance coordination
and collaboration among participating countries, aimed
at combating trafficking in narcotic drugs, dismantling
drug-related criminal organizations and combating the
illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, given the
increased levels of crime that it generates.
A restructured United Nations must ensure that
the Organization remains the source of redress for the
international community and the home of international
justice and equitable decision-making. Given the less-
than-satisfactory international development and
security situation, we, the States Members of the
United Nations, should be more than willing to act in
conformity with the Charter, to employ the
international machinery for promoting the economic
and social advancement of all peoples, to unite our
strengths to maintain international peace and security,
33 06-52737
and to practise increased tolerance and live together in
peace as good neighbours. Suriname believes that the
present session of the General Assembly can contribute
significantly to those endeavours.