Suriname, 2007

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.