Press Releases

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, together with a delegation of Members of Parliament and the Clerk and staff of the National Assembly, paid a four-day visit to the Speaker and the National Assembly of the Republic of Suriname aimed at consolidating and cementing relations between the two National Assemblies.

During this visit, a number of meetings were held between the two Speakers and their delegations where views were exchanged for the improvement of the workings of the National Assemblies of the two countries. Visits were also made to several areas of interest, including the coastal preservation initiative at Weg naar Zee and the refinery operations of the State Oil Company, Staatsolie at Tout Lie Fout.
The meeting between the two delegations ended with a consideration of certain specific matters of mutual interest:

Presentation by the Minister of Health of Suriname

The Minister of Health informed the meeting of the introduction in Suriname of Health in all policies – a World Health Organisation (WHO) Policy recommended to countries. This is an approach to public policies across sectors that systematically takes into account the health implications of decisions, seeks synergies, and avoids harmful health impacts, in order to improve population health and health equity.

Climate Change and Rise in Sea Levels

The delegations noted that Suriname and Guyana faced the same problems with regard to Climate Change and the rise in sea levels. The Guyanese delegation presented an overview of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) – Guyana’s vision to promoting economic development, while at the same time combating climate change. The delegations, noting the similarity of geography, agreed that the LCDS would be a useful initiative for Suriname to implement. The meeting agreed that both countries should continue dialogue and collaborate to address these issues at the international level.

Piracy at Sea
The meeting noted that the issue of piracy was common to both countries while making reference to the prevalence of piracy in the Corentyne River. After discussing the severity of piracy with particular emphasis on the effects on fishermen, the meeting proffered the following suggestions that could be considered by both countries to combat this crime:
• collaboration between law enforcement agencies of both countries with emphasis on patrolling targeted areas; and
• engaging in dialogue at the national level.

Trafficking in Persons
The meeting identified the problems faced by both countries in relation to human trafficking, noting that this is more prevalent in the interior of both countries. The delegations outlined the following initiatives undertaken by their respective countries to curb this problem:
• the establishment of a Trafficking in Persons (TIP) unit and the work of the Guyana Women Miners Association (GWMA) in Guyana; and
• the efforts embarked on by Suriname to protect young girls from being trafficked, specifically in the gold sector.
The meeting suggested the following initiatives to address trafficking in persons:
• creation of jobs and opportunities; and
• the continuous exchange of information between both countries regarding this problem and to make our efforts known internationally.

Finalisation of the Draft Contact Plan
The meeting agreed that the draft contact plan should be finalised which will see both Assemblies entering into continuous consultations to address the various issues and challenges faced, and the opportunities that their cooperation can provide. The meeting further agreed that the Guyana delegation will submit the document to the appropriate Committee of the National Assembly for examination and amendment, and amended if necessary, after consulting with its National Assembly and return it to the Surinamese delegation. Suriname’s delegation will then peruse the plan and arrange for it to be translated. The final document, having the agreement of both National Assemblies, will be signed by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname and the Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana.

It is important to note that:

The delegation paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

His Excellency The President of Suriname graciously agreed to receive the visiting delegation and encouraged an exchange of views with the delegation. His Excellency requested the Speaker to convey to His Excellency The President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana his continuing good wishes.