Suriname, 2003

On behalf of the

Government and people of the Republic of Suriname, I

would at the outset like to take this opportunity to

extend to you, Sir, a fellow brother of the Caribbean,

and to the other members of the Bureau my sincere

congratulations on your unanimous election to guide

the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly.

Suriname shares in the satisfaction experienced

by the Caribbean region. We are convinced that, given

your vast diplomatic experience and skills, you will be

able to guide the affairs of the fifty-eighth session of

the General Assembly in a most effective manner. In

this regard, I can assure you that Suriname will support

you in every possible way.

My delegation would also like to express its

gratitude to Mr. Jan Kavan, the President of the

General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session, for the

manner in which he chaired the affairs of this organ.

We wish him well in his future endeavours.

Likewise, my Government would like to reiterate

its support for Secretary-General Kofi Annan. His

dedication to the goals and spirit of the Organization

has been exemplary and has served him well in

protecting the interests of humanity.

My Government strongly deplores the atrocious

terrorist attack on the United Nations headquarters in

Baghdad. Our thoughts are with the Secretary-General

and with the bereaved families of those who perished

as a result of the incident. We especially mourn the

demise of Sergio Vieira de Mello, a dedicated United

Nations staff member who laboured for the benefit of

many troubled societies.

The opportunities that arise from developments in

the world today are, unfortunately, not within reach of

all the world’s children. This world order, which is

well-developed on the one side, copes with serious

development setbacks in the economic and social

sectors on the other. Economic downfalls, declining

health services and the persistence of an international

non-supportive environment are all circumstances that

affect the ability of Governments, in particular in the

developing countries, to adequately implement policies

that are required. There exists a wider disparity

between the haves and the have-nots, not only in

economic terms, but also in terms of opportunities

offered by the rapid development in the digital sector.

Globalization can become an avenue to global

development only if it becomes all-inclusive and

assumes a human face.

This idea was behind the sense of urgency and

understanding that participants in the global

consultative process for development cooperation

brought to the meetings in Doha, Monterrey and

Johannesburg. These meetings generated the needed

political commitment and momentum, as did the

Millennium Summit, at the highest political level. We

must maintain this momentum and continue to

5

demonstrate the political will and energy to implement

the decisions carefully drafted at these meetings.

To accelerate progress towards these goals, there

is a need for a set of policies that generate stronger

economic growth, complemented by action to enhance

the capabilities of poor people to participate in growth

and to access key social services. As agreed in Doha

and in Monterrey, these efforts should enjoy stronger

support from the international community, in particular

through increased market access for developing

countries.

My Government also holds the view that it is

necessary for all relevant actors to continue to be

involved in the process that should lead to the

coordinated and integrated implementation of the

outcomes of these meetings. Such an approach should

put us on a path of economic and social development

that reduces poverty and works for all the world’s

peoples.

International peace and security predominantly

occupy the international agenda. The maintenance of

international peace and security is a major concern of

the international community, as declining security

affects the protection of human rights and the very

existence of all human beings. It is therefore important

that global security be based on a secured and just

framework that promotes the peaceful coexistence of

all States. The Government of Suriname is of the

considered view that the United Nations and its Charter

offer the best guarantee for the maintenance of

international peace and security. Abidance by the

security framework laid down in the Charter is

therefore of utmost importance.

Declining security affects every member of the

international community. It is therefore essential to

increase the involvement of the general membership of

the Organization in the agenda and work of the

Security Council, while an increase in the membership

of the Council should reflect the international political

and economic realities and security needs of

contemporary global society.

The principle of human-centred security might

offer the best possible and most effective road to travel

in order to meet the security needs of today’s world. A

commitment to human-centred security will generate

more integrated international cooperation in many

related fields, from conflict prevention to disarmament,

including respect for the rule of law and for human

rights.

The United Nations must continue to be

innovative in its search for effective ways and means to

increase global security. We must continue to argue for

more tolerance and understanding among peoples.

Suriname is one of the most ethnically varied nations

in the world, where people of different religions and

racial backgrounds live and work peacefully together,

and with a Government and Parliament in which

Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Jews form one front

to collectively work on the development of our country.

The dialogue among civilizations, in particular

among religions, must be encouraged. We must

furthermore seek to remove those circumstances that

give rise to situations that foster global insecurity. This

task must be given a central place in any overall

strategy to increase international peace and security.

Maintaining international peace and security must

increasingly become a common responsibility

involving all actors, Governments and peoples alike.

The restructuring of the United Nations must also

result in achieving a more effective General Assembly.

It is important that the General Assembly be

perceived by the general public as an important

international body contributing to its development and

prosperity. A restructured General Assembly, as the

sole universal deliberative body, must continue to

spearhead the debate on development, but must also

incorporate into its agenda other issues of a global

nature that are of special importance to humanity.

The common task ahead is to collectively work

towards sustainable human development and to create a

global society in which equity, equality and equal

rights and opportunities exist for all human beings and

extreme poverty can be eradicated. Achieving such a

global society requires the involvement, determination

and commitment of every Government, civil society

and business sector, as well as coordinated and

comprehensive actions by all these actors in the global

fight against poverty and injustice.