Indigenous Peoples and Mining in West Suriname

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Indigenous Peoples and Mining in West Suriname Shifting Grounds Indigenous Peoples and Mining in West Suriname By Viviane Weitzner July 2008 The Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname and The North-South Institute The North-South Institute and The Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname The Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname The Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (VIDS) is an association of Indigenous village leaders from every Indigenous village in Suriname. It was established in 1992 in the aftermath of the internal armed conflict in Suriname. Its goals and objectives are to promote and defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples, to speak for Indigenous Peoples on the national and international levels, and to support sustainable development in Suriname. The VIDS has taken a leading role in promoting Indigenous rights, sustainable development and environmental protection in Suriname. It believes that all three are interrelated and all must be supported and monitored. In 2001, the VIDS established Stichting Bureau VIDS as its fulltime secretariat. The North-South Institute (NSI) is a charitable corporation established in 1976 to provide professional, policy-relevant research on relations between industrialized and developing countries. The results of this research are made available to policy-makers, interested groups, and the general public to help generate greater understanding and informed discussion of development questions. The Institute is independent and cooperates with a wide range of Canadian and international organizations working in related activities. The contents of this study represent the views and the findings of the author alone and not necessarily those of The North-South Institute’s directors, sponsors or supporters, or those consulted during its preparation. Available at: www.nsi-ins.ca. Final Project Report for Inter-American Development Bank Project: “Indigenous Peoples and Mining in Suriname – Building Community Capacity and Encouraging Dialogue” ATN/CT-8811-SU Photo credits: All photos are the property of VIDS and NSI Layout and design: Meaghen Simms © The Inter-American Development Bank, 2008 Shifting Grounds: Indigenous Peoples and Mining in West Suriname Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations . .ii Acknowledgements . .iii Executive Summary . .iv Recommendations Affecting All of Suriname . .vi Recommendations Concerning West Suriname . .vii Recommendations Concerning the Role of the IDB and Canada . .x 1: Introduction: Shifting Grounds . .2 Objectives . .3 2: Project Process, Activities and Methodologies . .4 Activities, Methodologies and Outputs . .4 3: Issues Scan and Analysis: Reversing the Legacy of Exclusion . .8 Issues Affecting All of Suriname . .9 Focus on the West . .21 Key Community Concerns . .24 4: Conclusion: The Nature of Shifting Grounds and Implications . .42 The Role of the IDB in Supporting Indigenous Organizations . .42 The Role of the Government of Canada and CIDA in Suriname . .43 Towards Firmer Ground . .46 Appendix 1: Media Coverage . .48 Appendix 2: Agreement between the Indigenous Peoples of West Suriname and BHP/Billiton and Suralco NV (Draft 2006) . .50 Appendix 3: Policy and Regulations on Consultation and Consent Processes Adopted by the Indigenous Peoples of West Suriname (2006 Draft) . .53 Appendix 4: Maps . .56 Appendix 5: Recommendations from Robert Goodland’s Assessment of SRK’s Transportation Options Scoping Document . .57 References . .60 Endnotes . .65 Boxes 1. Lessons Learned Implementing this Project . .7 2. Select Facts and Figures about Mining in Suriname . .8 3. Summarized Urgent Action Decisions by CERD Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Rights and Mining in Suriname . .15 4. Recommendations Concerning All of Suriname . .19 5. Land Rights and Other Affected Peoples . .26 6. Selected Alcoa and BHP Billiton Policies on Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples . .28 7. Key aspects that need further strengthening to enable better governance and decision-making in Apoera, Section and Washabo . .37 8. Recommendations Concerning West Suriname . .39 9. Recommendations Concerning IDB Consultancy Contracts . .43 10. IAMGold’s Gross Rosebel Mine . .45 11. Recommendations Concerning the Role of Canada and Canadian Companies in Suriname . .46 i The North-South Institute and The Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname Acronyms and Abbreviations ASM: Association for Responsible Artisanal Mining ATM: Ministry of Labour, Environment and Technology BF: Bakhuis Forum BHPB: Broken Hill Proprietary & Billiton Corporation BMS: NV BHP Billiton Maatschappij Suriname CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity CANTAP: Canadian Technical Assistance Programme CARICOM: Caribbean Community CERD: UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination CIDA: Canadian International Development Agency CLIM: Committee Land Rights Indigenous Marowijne CSNR: Central Suriname Nature Reserve CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment EIS: Environmental Impact Statement EMP: Environmental Management Plan ESIA: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESIR: Environmental and Social Impact Report FPP: Forest Peoples Programme FPIC: Free Prior Informed Consent FTAA: Free Trade Area of the Americas GDP: Gross Domestic Product HSEC: Health, Safety, Environment and Community (BHP Billiton Management Standards) IACHR: Inter-American Court on Human Rights IBA: Impact Benefit Agreement ICMM: International Council on Mining & Metals IDB: Inter-American Development Bank IDRC: International Development Research Centre IFC: International Finance Corporation IIRSA: Regional Infrastructure Integration in South America/ Integración de la Infrastructura Regional en Sur América IUCN: International Union for the Conservation of Nature Km: Kilometres MAS: Maritime Authority of Suriname MoU: Memorandum of Understanding MRN: Mineração Rio do Norte MW: Megawatt NCE: National Council on the Environment NGOs: Non-governmental organizations NIMOS: Nationaal Instituut voor Milieu en Ontwikkeling in Suriname NMR: Nationale Milieu Raad (National Council for the Environment) ii Shifting Grounds: Indigenous Peoples and Mining in West Suriname NSI: The North-South Institute, Canada OIS: Organization for Indigenous People in Suriname OP: Operational Policy PRI: Private Sector Department SEA: Strategic Environmental Assessment SIA: Social Impact Assessment SRK: SRK Consulting Suralco: Suriname Aluminum Company LLC TCP: Technical Cooperation Profile USD: United States Dollars VIDS: Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname) WWF: World Wildlife Fund Acknowledgements This final report owes its existence to the team of people whose work it synthesizes. I cannot under- score enough how thankful I am for the dedication and many hours of hard work put into this proj- ect by the staff at Bureau VIDS, particularly project coordinator Carla Madsian, community development specialist Josee Artist and Executive Director, Loreen Jubithana. Caroline de Jong and Ellen-Rose Kambel provided rigorous support and expert advice through their trainings on land rights and community-based research regarding traditional use and occupation. Caroline de Jong’s collaboration with Carla Madsian on collating and editing the traditional use and occupation study led to a document that the communities of West Suriname are very proud of and will use for years to come. Robert Goodland has further endeared himself to everyone in West Suriname through his very clear training on international standards for ESIA, reconnaissance on the likely impacts from the Transportation Options, and ongoing support. At the NSI, Bente Molenaar coordinated this project while I was on maternity leave, and pro- duced a well-researched comprehensive issues report which feeds into this one. Meaghen Simms provided excellent coordination, research and design support. Ann Weston provided project man- agement support and feedback throughout. I am extremely grateful to Fergus MacKay, Ellen-Rose Kambel, Carla Madsian, Bente Mole- naar, Meaghen Simms and Robert Goodland for your valuable comments on the various drafts of this paper. At the IDB, thank you to Kristyna Bishop, for seeing the value in this project and enabling it to become a reality; and to Nancy del Prado for working with us to try to resolve a variety of issues around this project, and for your feedback on the substance of this work. Thank you also to Warren Pedersen of Suralco, John Sew A Tjon of BHP Billiton, and to Chair Marny Daal and other mem- bers of the government negotiations team for participating in the presentations and discussions of the preliminary results of this work. Last but not least, “Danki da bong!” to the people of West Suriname. Community-based re- searchers Marcia Jarmohamed (Apoera), Els Lingaard (Washabo), Dina Romalo (Washabo), Henk James (Section) and Sandra Jeffrey (Apoera) worked hard to document their communities’ tradi- tional use and occupation, and gathered valuable information to help strengthen decision-making processes at the community level. Chiefs David Carlo Lewis (Apoera), Nado Aroepa (Section) and Ricardo Mac-Intosh (Washabo) provided ongoing advice and guidance to the project team. We hope the outcomes meet your expectations. iii The North-South Institute and The Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname Executive Summary In 2003, Indigenous communities in West Suriname learned a deal had been struck between the Government of Suriname and BHP Billiton and
Recommended publications
  • Aardrijkskundige Beschrijving
    BEKNOPTE AARDRIJKSKUNDIGE BESCHRIJVING VAN SURINAME door W. L. LOTH, Gouvernements landmeter in Suriname. JVlK'r J_A._VI_T VAN I*A.Ï_A.]M__Rl__o. AMSTERDAM. — J. 11. de BUSSY. — 1898. BEKNOPTE AARDRIJKSKUNDIGE BESCHRIJVING VAN SURINAME DOOR W. L. LOTH, Gouvernement* lamimeter in Suriname, MKÏ KAART VAN PAKAMARIBO. AMSTERDAM. - J. H. DE BUSSY. — 1898. INHOUD. Blz. 1". llgging, gbenzen, omtbek .' 5 2°. Hoogte . 5 3°. Laagland, Savanna, Hoogland 6 •4". Klimaat 7 s°. Middelen van veekeer 7 6". Namen dee districten en kunne geenzen. 15 7°. Voortbrengselen 19 B°. Bevolking 20 9°. Beschrijving der districten 21 I°. Ligging, grenzen, omtrek. De Kolonie Suriname, gelegen aan de noordkust van Zuid-Amerika, tusschen 51° en 58° "Westerlengte van Green- wich en 2° en 6° Noorderbreedte, beslaat eene oppervlakte van vijftien millioen Hectaren (150000 K. Ms . of 2784 □ G. mijlen). Zij grenst ten Noorden aan den Atlantischen Oceaan, ten Oosten aan Fransen Guyana (Cayenne), ten Zuiden aan Brazilië en ten Westen aan Engelsch Guyana (Demerara). De oostelijke grens loopt over de rivier de Marowijne, de zuidelijke over het Tumuchumac- en het Acarai-gebergte en de westelijke over de rivier de Corantijn. Slechts ongeveer een derde deel van bovengenoemde opper- vlakte der Kolonie is doorreizigers bezocht; van het overige deel is niets bekend. 2°. Hoogte. Over eene geschatte breedte van 50 K. M. is het noorde- lijk deel van Suriname bijna geheel vlak en ligt het ter hoogte van het peil van gewoon hoog water en dus beneden het peil der springvloeden. Dit lage deel wordt ten Zuidenbegrensd door eene kromme lijn, loopende van de Marowijne ter hoogte van de Wane- 6 kreek in W.
    [Show full text]
  • Maroons and the Communications Revolution in Suriname's Interior
    CHAPTER 7 Maroons and the Communications Revolution in Suriname’s Interior Alex van Stipriaan 1 Introduction From the first until the last day of slavery, enslaved people liberated them- selves by escaping from the plantation colony and setting up new, indepen- dent communities. These escapees, who came to be called Maroons, settled in the tropical rain forest of Suriname’s interior, far away from the seat of colonial power in Paramaribo. Yet they stayed tied to the colonial economy in several ways. The general impression people have is that Maroons lived in total isola- tion in Suriname’s interior until quite recently, about one or two generations ago, but this must now be largely discounted as a myth. This is certainly true in the case of Maroon men.1 Women, on the other hand, remained comparatively isolated until quite recently as gender-based labour division and traditional notions of womanhood mostly linked women to the domestic sphere and the village context. This chapter examines the extent to which contact with the outside world formed part of the Maroons’ existence, and how contact has influenced Maroon lifestyles throughout history.2 Crucially, I explore how Maroons’ adoption of new communication technologies is impacting patterns of com- munication with the wider world and among the Maroons themselves. This contribution does not simply deal with how objects are being adopted by sub- jects, rather it focuses on what happens to people and their context when they use new technologies and also how new technologies are transformed due to their use in specific social contexts.
    [Show full text]
  • Structuur Analyse Districten 2009-2013
    STRUCTUUR ANALYSE DISTRICTEN 2009-2013 STICHTING PLANBUREAU SURINAME December 2014 Structuuranalyse Districten IV Ruimtelijke ontwikkeling van de districten INHOUDSOPGAVE Ten geleide ................................................................................................................ ii Colofon ..................................................................................................................... iii Afkortingen ............................................................................................................... iv I DEMOGRAFISCHE ANALYSE Demografische analyse ......................................................................................... D-1 II RUIMTELIJKE ONTWIKKELING VAN DE DISTRICTEN 1. Paramaribo .................................................................................................. S-1 2. Wanica ...................................................................................................... S-22 3. Nickerie ..................................................................................................... S-38 4. Coronie ...................................................................................................... S-60 5. Saramacca ................................................................................................ S-72 6. Commewijne .............................................................................................. S-90 7. Marowijne ................................................................................................ S-109
    [Show full text]
  • Investment Guide
    SURINAME INVESTMENT GUIDE Where Business equals Quality of Life INVESTMENT GUIDE SURINAME Where Business equals Quality of Life INVESTMENT GUIDE SURINAME Where Business equals Quality of Life PREFACE In the last number of years, Suriname made significant steps to integrate its economy into the globalizing world economy. By becoming a member of the Caribbean Community in 1995, a process started which included regulatory reforms and trade liberalization with the purpose of modernizing the economy and cutting red tape. In 2004, the country was able to reach a positive trade balance. For decades, the US and The Netherlands were significant trading partners of Suriname. Regional integration is an important policy aspect of the current Government which took office in August of 2010. By following a conscious strategy of integrating into non traditional markets and participating in the South American integration process, the country is opening doors to investors who will see opportunities in mining, a wide range of services, agriculture, cultural diversity, communications and value added products. By deepening the relationship with traditional trading partners with investment modalities and implementing a South South strategy with nontraditional partners, the economy of Suriname is being transformed into an emerging market. Suriname is a unique and safe place with the natural resources and geological characteristics of South America, the warmth of the Caribbean, a cultural diversity found nowhere else, and a constantly improving investment and business climate. The Government makes serious effort to make Suriname a better place do to business and will treat all investors alike, according to the Most Favorite Nation principles.
    [Show full text]
  • Researchnote a Harvard Physician's Reports on an 1857 Visit to The
    New West Indian Guide 93 (2019) 259–278 nwig brill.com/nwig Research Note ∵ A Harvard Physician’s Reports on an 1857 Visit to the Saamaka Richard Price Coquina Key, Florida [email protected] Christopher D.E. Willoughby Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania [email protected] Abstract In 1857, Harvard professor and anatomist Jeffries Wyman traveled to Suriname to col- lect specimens for his museum at Harvard (later the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, founded in 1866 and curated by Wyman). Though his main interest con- cerned amphibians, he had a secondary interest in ethnology and, apparently, a desire to demonstrate current theories of racial “degeneration” among the African-descended population, particularly the “Bush Negroes.” This research note presents a letter he wrote his sister from Suriname, excerpts from his field diary, and sketches he made while visiting the Saamaka and Saa Kiiki Ndyuka. Wyman’s brief account of his visit suggests that Saamakas’ attitudes toward outside visitors (whether scientists, mission- aries, or government officials) remained remarkable stable, from the time of the 1762 peace treaty until the Suriname civil war of the 1980s. © richard price and christopher d.e. willoughby, 2019 | doi:10.1163/22134360-09303001 This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY-NCDownloaded4.0 License. from Brill.com10/05/2021 06:07:42AM via free access 260 research note Keywords Saamaka – Suriname – Maroons – history of medicine In late 2018, CW wrote to RP to tell him of a book he was writing on the his- tory of racial science and slavery in U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Deconstructing the Amerindian Kaleidoscope
    CHAPTER 4 Movement through Time in the Southern Guianas: Deconstructing the Amerindian Kaleidoscope Eithne B. Carlin and Jimmy Mans The life of a person is the sum of his tracks. The total inscription of his movements, something that can be traced out along the ground. And the life course of a people, the totality of their ways, conventions, and con- ventionally encountered situations, is the sum of its ‘tracks’, the trails over its country along which experience is measured out. (Wagner 1986: 21) 1 Introduction The immense linguistic diversity in Suriname had already existed for thousands of years before the European outthrust to the Americas. Different Amerindian groups had been present and moving around vast areas of Suriname and in and out of the neighbouring countries at a time when the borders of these present- day states did not exist as we know them today.1 After, or despite, colonisation by successive groups of Europeans, the fluidity of the frontiers remained for the Amerindians and led at any given moment in time to shifting constella- tions of population make-up within each of the three modern nation-states Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, and the contiguous areas of Venezuela and Brazil. In his influential ‘Individual and Society’ from 1984, Peter Rivière describes how Amerindian settlements in the Guianas seem to disintegrate and re-assemble in another location in like fashion, a process to which he cau- tiously ascribes the metaphor of a kaleidoscope. The key concept behind this Amerindian kaleidoscope appears to be the mechanism of residential mobil- ity. Mobility here is defined as the sum of all movements (see Wagner 1986: 21; Ingold 2009: 36–37) and movement is regarded as any shifting from one location to another, as an interaction with the landscape, whether this be inci- dental, repetitive, or stable.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessment of Prunus Africana Bark Exploitation Methods and Sustainable Exploitation in the South West, North-West and Adamaoua Regions of Cameroon
    GCP/RAF/408/EC « MOBILISATION ET RENFORCEMENT DES CAPACITES DES PETITES ET MOYENNES ENTREPRISES IMPLIQUEES DANS LES FILIERES DES PRODUITS FORESTIERS NON LIGNEUX EN AFRIQUE CENTRALE » Assessment of Prunus africana bark exploitation methods and sustainable exploitation in the South west, North-West and Adamaoua regions of Cameroon CIFOR Philip Fonju Nkeng, Verina Ingram, Abdon Awono February 2010 Avec l‟appui financier de la Commission Européenne Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... i ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... ii Abstract .................................................................................................................. iii 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Problem statement ...................................................................................... 2 1.3 Research questions .......................................................................................... 2 1.4 Objectives ....................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Importance of the study ................................................................................... 3 2: Literature Review .................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Organization of American States Washington, D.C
    3 INTER - AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS COMISION INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS COMISSAO INTERAMERICANA DE DIREITOS HUMANOS COMMISSION INTERAMERICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME DBRECHOS~k9 HUMANOS ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES WASHINGTON, D.C. 2 0 0 0 6 USA January 20, 2012 RE.: Case 12.608 Liakat Ali Alibux Suriname Mr. Secretary, On behalf of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, I am pleased to address you in order to submit to the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights the case 12.608 Liakat Ali Alibux against the. Republic of Suriname (hereinafter "the State" or "Suriname"), related to the investigation of and criminal proceedin(JS against Mr. Liakat Ali Alibux- former Minister of Finance and former Minister of Natural Resources - who was sentenced on November 5, 2003 for the crime of forgery, in accordance with the procedures provide for in the Indictment of Political Officials Act. In its report on the merits, the Commission concluded that within the framework of that process the State of Suriname is internationally responsible for violating the rights to a fair trial, to judicial protection, to freedom from ex post facto laws, and to freedom of movement and residence, as set forth in Articles 8, 25, 9, and 22 of the American Convention on Human Rights. Specifically, the Commission found that Mr. Alibux did not have a remedy to appeal his conviction; that he did not have access to the courts to challenge the constitutionality of the Act under which he was tried; that said Act was applied ex post facto; and that the restriction on his ability to leave the country was disproportionate.
    [Show full text]
  • Indigenous Peoples and Mining in West Suriname Synthesis Report: Suriname Pilot Project
    Determining our Future, Asserting our Rights: Indigenous Peoples and Mining in West Suriname Synthesis Report: Suriname Pilot Project A collaborative project between The Association of Indigenous Leaders in Suriname (VIDS) and The North-South Institute (NSI) Funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada By Viviane Weitzner The North-South Institute January 2007 The Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (VIDS) is an association of Indigenous village leaders from every Indigenous village in Suriname. It was established in 1992 in the after• math of the internal armed conflict in Suriname. Its goals and objectives are to promote and defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples, to speak for Indigenous Peoples on the national and international levels and to support sustainable development in Suriname. The VIDS has taken a leading role in promoting Indigenous rights, sustainable development and environmental protection in Suriname. It believes that all three are interrelated and all must be supported and monitored. In 2001, the VIDS established Stichting Bureau VIDS as its full-time secretariat. The North-South Institute (NSI) is a charitable corporation established in 1976 to provide profession• al, policy-relevant research on relations between industrialized and developing countries. The results of this research are made available to policy-makers, interested groups, and the general public to help generate greater understanding and informed discussion of development questions. The Institute is independent and cooperates with a wide range of Canadian and international organizations working in related activities. The contents of this study represent the views and the findings of the author alone and not neces- sarily those of The North-South Institute’s directors, sponsors, or supporters or those consulted during its preparation.
    [Show full text]
  • A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Upper Palumeu River Watershed (Grensgebergte and Kasikasima) of Southeastern Suriname
    Rapid Assessment Program A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Upper Palumeu River Watershed (Grensgebergte and Kasikasima) of Southeastern Suriname Editors: Leeanne E. Alonso and Trond H. Larsen 67 CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL - SURINAME CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ANTON DE KOM UNIVERSITY OF SURINAME THE SURINAME FOREST SERVICE (LBB) NATURE CONSERVATION DIVISION (NB) FOUNDATION FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION CONTROL (SBB) SURINAME CONSERVATION FOUNDATION THE HARBERS FAMILY FOUNDATION Rapid Assessment Program A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Upper Palumeu River Watershed RAP (Grensgebergte and Kasikasima) of Southeastern Suriname Bulletin of Biological Assessment 67 Editors: Leeanne E. Alonso and Trond H. Larsen CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL - SURINAME CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ANTON DE KOM UNIVERSITY OF SURINAME THE SURINAME FOREST SERVICE (LBB) NATURE CONSERVATION DIVISION (NB) FOUNDATION FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION CONTROL (SBB) SURINAME CONSERVATION FOUNDATION THE HARBERS FAMILY FOUNDATION The RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment is published by: Conservation International 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500 Arlington, VA USA 22202 Tel : +1 703-341-2400 www.conservation.org Cover photos: The RAP team surveyed the Grensgebergte Mountains and Upper Palumeu Watershed, as well as the Middle Palumeu River and Kasikasima Mountains visible here. Freshwater resources originating here are vital for all of Suriname. (T. Larsen) Glass frogs (Hyalinobatrachium cf. taylori) lay their
    [Show full text]
  • Comit De Expertos Del Mecanismo De Seguimiento
    MECHANISM FOR FOLLOW-UP ON THE SG/MESICIC/doc.167/05 rev. 4 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN 31 March 2006 CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION Original: English Ninth Meeting of the Committee of Experts March 27 – April 1, 2006 Washington, DC. REPUBLIC OF SURINAME FINAL REPORT (Adopted at the March 31, 2006 plenary session) COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS OF THE MECHANISM FOR FOLLOW-UP ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION FINAL REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION IN SURINAME OF THE CONVENTION PROVISIONS SELECTED FOR REVIEW IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FIRST ROUND1 INTRODUCTION 1. Legal-institutional framework2 On November 25, 1975 Suriname obtained its independence after having been a colony of Holland for approximately 300 years. The official language is Dutch. Suriname is a democratic state, based on the sovereignty of the people and on respecting and guaranteeing the fundamental rights and freedoms. Suriname acknowledges and respects the international law of self-determination and national independence on the basis of equality, sovereignty and mutual interests. The government of Suriname is based on the trias-politica doctrine or the separation of powers. The President is the head of state of Suriname, head of government, chairman of the State Council and of the Security Council. He is responsible to the National Assembly. The executive power rests with the President. Together with the Vice-President and the Council of Ministers, the President forms the government. The political power rests with the people and is exercised in accordance with the Constitution. The political democracy creates the condition for the people’s participation in general, as well as free elections by secret ballot to compose the people’s representative organs of government.
    [Show full text]
  • Constitution of Suriname, 1987
    CONSTITUTION OF SURINAME, 1987 Preamble WE, THE PEOPLE OF SURINAME, inspired by the love for this Country and the belief in the power of the Almighty and guided by the centuries-long struggle of our people against colonialism, which was terminated by the establishment of the Republic of Suriname on 25 November 1975, taking into consideration the consequent struggle against neo-colonialist colonization and the process of renovation of social relations, which was commenced on 25 February 1980, conscious of our duty to combat and to prevent every form of foreign domination, resolved to defend and protect the national sovereignty, independence and integrity, assured of the will to determine our economic, social and cultural development in full freedom convinced of our duty to honor and to guarantee the principles of freedom, equality and democracy as well as the fundamental rights and freedoms of man, inspired by a civic spirit and by the participation in the construction, expansion and maintenance of a society that is socially just, determined to collaborate with one another and with all peoples of the world on the basis of freedom, equality, peaceful coexistence and international solidarity, SOLEMNLY DECLARE, TO ACCEPT, AS A RESULT OF THE PLEBISCITE TO BE HELD, THE FOLLOWING CONSTITUTION. CHAPTER I SOVEREIGNTY First Section THE REPUBLIC OF SURINAME Article I 1. The Republic of Suriname is a democratic State based upon the sovereignty of the people and on the respect and guarantee of the fundamental right and liberties. 2. The Suriname Nation determines its economic social and cultural development in full freedom. Second Section TERRITORY Article 2 1.
    [Show full text]