Is There Gold In All That Glitters? Indigenous Peoples and Mining in Suriname Prepared for a project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank’s Canadian Technical Assistance Program (CANTAP) funding By Bente Molenaar The North-South Institute November 1, 2007 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 views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect views held by the Inter-American Development Bank or The North-South Institute. Omissions and mistakes are entirely the responsibility of the author. Corrections and comments can be sent to [email protected]. The draft of this report was completed November 1, 2007. Available at: www.nsi-ins.ca Layout and design: Marcelo Saavedra-Vargas ([email protected]) Photo Credit: Viviane Weitzner The North-South Institute Association of Indigenous L’Institut Nord-Sud Village Leaders in Suriname © The Inter-American Development Bank, 2008. IND I GENOUS PEO P LES AND MI N I NG I N SUR I NA M E Table of Contents Abbreviations and acronyms. ii Acknowledgements. .1 Executive summary. .2 Introduction . .3 1. Setting the scene: a brief overview of the actors, history, country information and politics. .4 1.1 Background information about Suriname. .4 1. 2 Indigenous and Maroon Peoples in Suriname. .4 1.3 Legislation and policy relevant to mining. .7 1.4 Obligations under international law. 8 2. Indigenous Peoples and mining in Suriname. .12 2.1 Economic importance of mining. 12 2.2 Bauxite mining . 13 2.3 Gold mining. .17 3. Socio-economic and environmental impacts of mining on Indigenous Peoples. 19 3.1 Lack of recognition of land rights and traditional leadership . .19 3.2 Threat to livelihood and changes to cultural identity and way of life . 19 4. Regional integration and international linkages. .24 Conclusions . 26 References. 28 Appendix 1: Interviews in Paramaribo, conducted between August 13 and 22, 2007. .32 Endnotes. .33 i IS THERE GOLD IN ALL THA T GL itt ERS ? Abbreviations and acronyms ADS: Adjunct District Secretaris (Adjunct District Secretary) BHPB: Broken Hill Proprietary & Billiton Corporation BMS: NV BHP Billiton Maatschappij Suriname CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity CERD: UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination CIDA: Canadian International Development Agency CLIM: Committee on Land Rights Marowijne CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility DC: District Commissioner ESIA: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment FPP: Forest Peoples Programme FPIC: Free Prior Informed Consent GDP: Gross Domestic Product GMD: Geologische Mijnbouwkundige Dienst (Geological mining department) Ha: Hectares IACHR: Inter-American Court on Human Rights ICMM: International Council on Mining & Metals IMF: International Monetary Fund IDB: Inter-American Development Bank IDRC: International Development Research Centre of Canada 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 MARPOL: International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships MNR: Ministry of Natural Resources MOU: Memorandum of Understanding NGOs: Non-governmental organizations NIMOS: Nationaal Instituut voor Milieu en Ontwikkeling in Suriname (National Instutute for Environment and Development in Suriname) NMR: Nationale Milieu Raad (National Council for the Environment) NSI: The North-South Institute, Canada OP: Operational Policy PCLR: Presidential Committee on Land Rights POS: SRK’s Aug ’05 ‘Plan of Study’ for the Bakhuys ESA RR: Ressort Raad (Ressort Advisor) SRK: SRK Consulting Suralco: Suriname Aluminum Company LLC USD: United States Dollars VIDS: Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (Association of Indigenous Vil- lage Leaders in Suriname) WWF: World Wildlife Fund ii IND I GENOUS PEO P LES AND MI N I NG I N SUR I NA M E Acknowledgements The research and writing of this paper was undertaken as part of a project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank’s Canadian Technical Assistance Program (CANTAP) fund- ing. I would like to extend a big thank you to Viviane Weitzner, Ann Weston, Carla Madsian, Ellen-Rose Kambel and Robert Goodland for their input. I would also like to thank everyone at the Association for Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (VIDS) for their collaboration and hospitality. 1 IS THERE GOLD IN ALL THA T GL itt ERS ? Executive summary The rapid expansion of mining activities on or near ancestral lands in Suriname has brought to the forefront the debate around Indigenous Peoples’ rights to land, to meaningfully partici- pate in consultation processes, and to free prior and informed consent (FPIC). Surinamese law does not recognize or protect Indigenous land rights. As there is increased pressure to extract resources that exist in the interior of Suriname, there is an increased risk that the rights of Indigenous and Maroon Peoples may be violated. This paper argues that it is crucial that the government and Indigenous and Maroon Peoples in Suriname increase their capacity to deal with extractive industries. This requires engaging in long-term planning to ensure that natural resource developments benefit Suriname as a whole. They must recognize Indigenous rights and protect the environment. The first section of the paper provides background information about Suriname and its Indigenous population. This section also contains a survey of legislation and policies relevant to Indigenous Peoples and mining. Both domestic and international law pertaining to the subject are briefly reviewed. The second part of the paper considers the historical and economic role of mining in Suriname, recognizing that most of the extractive industries are taking place on lands and territories that are traditionally Indigenous or Maroon. The role of Indigenous communities in the decision-making process is examined. The third section of the paper outlines some of the socio-economic, cultural and environmental impacts of mining on Indigenous Peoples. The increase in mining in Suriname has to be seen in a wider context. The demand and high prices for materials such as bauxite and gold drive exploration and exploitation in Suriname. There has also been a drive to promote more integrated infrastructure, thus easing the trade and transport of goods regionally as well as internationally. The cumulative effects of these trends and initiatives must be assessed in order to gain a clear picture of what they will mean to Indigenous Peoples in Suriname. The final section provides some concluding comments. The main conclusion is that active and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making around extractive indus- tries is of key importance to safeguard the rights of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples. The right to FPIC must be respected, and there is an obligation on the government to ensure that regulatory frameworks protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, as well as the environment. Second, Indigenous and Maroon Peoples disproportionately bear the adverse effects of mining. Suriname has a long history of mining, and historically little benefit has accrued to Indigenous and Maroon com- munities. It is important to recognize the potential adverse effects of mining and to eliminate or at least mitigate these effects in future developments. In order to effectively manage long-term planning and development while upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples, it is crucial to consider the impacts of mining. Finally, it is unlikely that the global hunger for natural resources will end any time soon, and in such a context Indigenous communities must continue to be supported and their vision must guide the decision-making process about resource extraction in their territories. 2 IND I GENOUS PEO P LES AND MI N I NG I N SUR I NA M E Introduction Over the past few years, Suriname has experienced an increase in mining activities. There seems to be gold in all that glitters, and rich deposits of gold and bauxite in particular con- tinue to be identified. Resource extraction in Suriname takes place in the interior, the ancestral and current home of Indigenous and Maroon Peoples. Their right to the lands they inhabit and use for survival is not recognized in Surinamese law. In this legislative and policy vacuum, Indigenous and Maroon Peoples continue to assert their rights and struggle for recognition of their right to determine what happens on their lands. Resource extraction, one of the pillars of the Surinamese economy, will continue to be important. As it remains so, there will be increased pressure on the Government of Suriname to ensure that all of the extractive activities are in fact improving both economic and human development without irreversibly damaging the environ- ment. Currently, legislation governing mining, environment and human rights is lacking, as is the enforcement of regulations that do exist (see below). This paper synthesizes key issues related to Indigenous Peoples and mining