Suriname, 1997

Allow me to begin by

congratulating you, Sir, on behalf of the delegation of

Suriname, on your election to the presidency of the fifty-

second session of the General Assembly. I am convinced

that under your wise and able guidance our deliberations

will be fruitful. May I express our appreciation for the

excellent manner in which your predecessor, Ambassador

Razali Ismail, presided over the fifty-first session of the

General Assembly.

I also take this opportunity to convey our profound

admiration of and gratitude for the dynamic leadership of

the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in pursuance of the

noble objectives of this unique world body in this era in

which new challenges and opportunities face humankind.

We salute his efforts to bring our Organization more in line

with the pressing demands of our time.

When we express our feelings of solidarity with the

less fortunate of the world, our sympathy also goes out to

the Government and the people of the sister island of

Montserrat as they suffer the consequences of a geologic

disaster in these dismal days of their history. The important

support that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

countries, within their limited possibilities, have given to

Montserrat to help alleviate the pain merits recognition and

is worth following. I therefore seize this opportunity to

appeal to other countries to fulfil their moral obligations to

our brothers and sisters in need.

Within the context of an increasingly integrated and

complex global economic system of production and

distribution, trade liberalization and globalization of

financial markets, the major thrust of the development

strategy of the Government of the Republic of Suriname

lies in the revitalization and strengthening of production and

export capacity as the main engines of growth while

maintaining financial and monetary stability.

In response to the need to diversify the export base of

the economy, a good deal of impetus was given this year to

the expansion of the mining sector by the recent opening of

an oil refinery that will enable my country to meet

domestic demands for heavy oil, by new gold-mining

operations and by the commercial exploitation of other

mineral deposits. Furthermore, we have initiated the

construction of two important bridges. Together with the

rehabilitation of vital infrastructure, including access roads

in the coastal area and to the interior of the country and the

operation of a ferry service with our neighbouring country,

the cooperative Republic of Guyana, these bridges will

offer new opportunities for trade, house construction,

transport, tourism and employment in Suriname.

It is often said that progress in building lasting

democracies and stronger market economies is

increasingly threatened by slow growth, weak institutions,

poverty and wealth inequality. Persistent economic

hardships for the majority of the people can likewise

damage the credibility of democratic Governments. The

struggle against poverty and social injustice is therefore

the greatest challenge to the Government of Suriname.

In our ceaseless struggle as a small nation to achieve

people-centred development goals, the present

Government, within the international constraints of

sustainable development and environmental protection,

will continue its endeavours to increase domestic

efficiency and international competitiveness in agriculture,

production, manufacturing and export, as well as to

strengthen the institutions of local entrepreneurship, with

a view to ensuring political stability and fostering

equitable economic growth.

Bearing in mind that which has been referred to as

the dark side of the globalization process, and with a view

to avoiding marginalization and creating outsiders to the

global economy, it is imperative that we continue to

recognize the small, fragile and vulnerable economies of

the Caribbean, including Suriname, and of other regions

in the world. This should guarantee that they will be

given special treatment during a transitional period in

which they will still require exceptions, waivers and other

transitional arrangements in the broader context of

international trade liberalization and economic integration.

Hence the Surinamese Government attaches special

significance to the May 1997 Bridgetown Declaration of

Principles on Caribbean Community-United States

cooperation in responding to the challenges that the new

millennium poses for our region, and it is looking forward

to an expeditious implementation of the Plan of Action

appended thereto. We also attach great importance to the

timely implementation of the Programme of Action for

the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing

States and are looking forward to the 1998 review session

of the Commission on Sustainable Development on

outstanding chapters and issues of the Programme of

Action.

The Government of Suriname welcomes the call of

the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs for a

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renewed and concerted international commitment to a

forward-looking drug strategy for the twenty-first century

and, to that end, the convocation of a special session of the

General Assembly in June 1998. That session will prepare

a global drug-control strategy and new ways to promote

international and regional cooperation in the fight against

the worldwide drug problem that undermines in particular

the economic and social prospects of many small

developing nations.

While Suriname cannot be considered a drug-

producing country, it is afflicted by this scourge through

producers from outside the country who misuse its territory

as a transit point for drugs bound for other countries, where

the availability and extensive use of drugs is creating a

huge, profitable market that threatens the well-being of so

many and feeds the greed of but a few.

To demonstrate our resolve to eradicate this evil from

our territory, we will join with neighbouring countries to

coordinate our strategies and efforts. For that purpose

Suriname will convene, at the beginning of 1998 and in

concert with Guyana, Brazil, France and Venezuela, an

international conference on defining strategies and actions

against the misuse and illicit trafficking of drugs. We

appeal to those who are also committed to this struggle to

assist us in this endeavour.

Reflecting on our special session on the

implementation of Agenda 21, the Government of Suriname

applauds the adoption in July of this year of the Programme

for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, including the

statement of commitment by Member countries. We expect

the next comprehensive review of its implementation in the

year 2002 to demonstrate greater measurable progress in

achieving sustainable development.

The Government of Suriname feels concern about the

issue of finance for sustainable development. Since Rio

1992, only four developed States have fulfilled their

Agenda 21 commitment towards the target of providing 0.7

per cent of their gross national product as official

development assistance. As it was agreed that for most

developing countries official development assistance is still

a main source of external development financing and cannot

generally be replaced by private capital inflows, I should

like to urge the donor community to intensify efforts to

reverse the declining trend in official development

assistance as we experience it today.

The situation in the Middle East continues to pose a

great threat to international peace and security. The Oslo

agreement of 1993, signed by the two parties, embodies

the hope that a lasting solution to this conflict is within

reach, since it establishes the basis for a lasting peace in

the Middle East. We feel that the peace process must be

carried on urgently, with a well-defined timetable. We

therefore support the co-sponsors of the peace process in

their effort to bring the parties back to the negotiating

table with a view to securing durable peace in the Middle

East.

Allow me to make a few remarks on the important

issues of the reform and strengthening of the United

Nations and of more equitable representation in the

Security Council. Since its birth, our Organization has

grown from 5 to 185 Member States, but the Security

Council still reflects the world as it was in 1945. The

Government of Suriname therefore underscores the need

for an expansion of, and a more equitable representation

in, the membership of the Security Council.

The reform of the Security Council should not only

make the Council’s membership more representative and

more legitimate but should also enhance its transparency

and openness towards other Member States and non-

members in order to convey its important messages in an

amplified and more effective manner. Hence we welcome

the recent measures taken by the Council to enhance its

transparency.

The present Government of Suriname takes the

position that the countries of the Caribbean and Latin

America should be included in any agreed expansion of

the Council, within the context of the principles of

equitable geographic distribution and the sovereign

equality of States. The reform should not result in

discriminatory treatment between the developed and the

developing countries. We furthermore consider as integral

parts of Security Council reform its expansion, the reform

of its working methods and the issue of the veto. The

veto should preferably be restricted to issues falling under

Chapter VII of our Charter.

Increased globalization and the emergence of new

challenges and threats require closer cooperation between

States at a global level. Within this context, it is of

utmost importance to reaffirm and maintain the role of the

United Nations as a major actor in cooperation between

States, especially development cooperation. In this light,

my Government welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-

General to propose a comprehensive reform programme

to the General Assembly which is geared towards

strengthening the efficiency of the Secretariat and fixing

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a stronger focus on economic and social development

issues.

The Government of Suriname supports in general the

reform proposals of the Secretary-General and their key

elements. These reform proposals as a whole represent a

timely and welcome initiative, given the fact that in today’s

world the need has progressively increased for global

common action on a number of pressing problems, such as

the eradication of poverty, humanitarian emergencies,

refugee problems, climate change and desertification,

diminishing official development assistance funding, drugs,

nuclear disarmament, the implementation of Agenda 21,

democracy and the maintenance of peace and security in

various regions of the world.

All this calls for a stronger United Nations to promote

a renewed multilateral cooperation based on common

interests and shared responsibility. We must empower the

United Nations now so that it can confront the global

challenges of the twenty-first century.

One of the best ways to re-establish trust in the United

Nations is to enhance the impact of United Nations

development activities at the country level. In this regard

the Surinamese Government endorses the proposal to

establish a “United Nations House”.

In closing, I wish to reiterate that the Government of

the Republic of Suriname is committed to contributing to

the ongoing process of reform of our Organization.

We see the reform proposals of the Secretary-General

as a first step in the right direction, although much more is

left to be done. We feel that the United Nations system

should be made stronger, more effective and more efficient

in order to meet the priorities set by all its Members — not

just the priorities of the economically strong and the

militarily powerful but, especially, the priorities of the weak

and vulnerable States, which should be prevented from

becoming outsiders in the global economy.