PARAMARIBO – Suriname has the potential to become a role model for countries around the world confronting engrained patterns of violent cultural polarisation, a UN expert said today. “Surinamese society is based upon a constitutional commitment to the principle of solidarity and promotion of mutual respect within the schools, thereby strengthening co-existence among its ethnically diverse population,” said Cecilia M. Bailliet, UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and International Solidarity, in a statement at the end of a nine-day official visit to Suriname. While the expert was impressed by the numerous examples of solidarity actions that guide Surinamese society (such as the Malaria eradication programme) she also raised concern about some key solidarity challenges, including the lack of recognition of the collective rights of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, as well as their exclusion from participation in decision-making (particularly in relation to the detrimental impact of legal and illegal mining and deforestation on their livelihoods), and their limited access to clean water, electricity, education, health care and employment. “There is an urgent need to upgrade the education system to ensure that youth from every region of Suriname have equal access to higher education, vocational training, and participation in civic life,” the expert said. She noted that the lack of basic school structures, limited teaching materials and poor transport infrastructure are compounded by the lack of funds to pay teachers a decent salary, which has resulted in many teachers leaving the country. “The recent historic discovery of oil off the coast of Suriname presents a real opportunity for the State to commit to pursue a solidarity strategy to eliminate inequality and structural exclusion, and to ensure the enjoyment of human rights for everyone in the country, including women, children, persons with disabilities, migrants, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, among others,” the expert said. She called for the creation of a Mining Sustainable Development Fund as well as decentralised Solidarity Sustainable Development Plans, identifying social, environmental, and economic aims to be implemented at all levels. “The young people of Suriname deserve to look to the future with hope,” the expert said. “I believe that Suriname can achieve a fully inclusive society through cooperation between the Government, civil society actors, international partners, and Indigenous and Tribal peoples, as well as other stakeholders, to pursue solidarity approaches to education, migration, environmental protection, and sustainable development.” Bailliet will submit a full report to the Human Rights Council in June 2025. *The expert: Cecilia M Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity. Independent Experts/Special Rapporteurs/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR. Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/ For more information and media requests please contact: hrc-ie-solidarity@un.org For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org) or Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts. UN Human Rights, country page - Suriname