Geneva, 2 April 2025
UN experts* today urged the
Government of Suriname to address structural discrimination
and underlying forms of racism rooted in the legacies of
enslavement of people of African descent and
colonialism.
“Suriname has the opportunity to make a
decisive break with the legacies of enslavement that
permeate its society and inhibit the largest population
group – people of African descent, especially Maroon
communities – from fully enjoying their rights on an equal
footing with others,” said the Working Group of Experts on
People of African Descent, in a statement
following a 10-day visit to the
country.
“Suriname should acknowledge
and take measures the current situation of people of African
descent in a open, transparent and inclusive manner in order
to build a society without discrimination and exclusion,”
the experts said. “Structural racial discrimination has
left most people of African descent with a feeling of not
fully belonging to the Surinamese society. People of African
descent lag behind in most socio-economic indicators despite
being the largest population
group.”
Suriname has adopted some legal
provisions against racial discrimination, notably in the
Constitution and the Penal Code. It has also set up a
Constitutional Court and established a Human Rights
Commission at the National Assembly, which can hold hearings
and consultations and receive complaints from groups – an
additional forum where people of African descent can express
their concerns.
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The experts stressed that more should
be done to effectively transform the daily lives of people
of African descent by alleviating poverty, ensuring their
rights to education, housing, employment, health care,
access to basic services, facilities and infrastructure.
Suriname should guarantee the rights to participation in
political and public affairs, meaningful consultation in
decision-making processes affecting their rights, adequate
representation, and guarantees of land rights.
The
experts heard testimonies from women, youth and human rights
defenders of African descent, especially Maroon communities
and their leaders.
“Regions inhabited by people of
African descent live are less developed, leaving a sense of
being neglected by the Government” they said.
“The
limits placed on the participation of Surinamese of African
descent in the economic sectors are considerable and should
be dismantled in the best interest of all Surinamese”, the
experts added.
The testimonies detailed persistent
stereotypes and derogatory language, poor quality of
education and limited access to adequate health care and
social housing, inadequate water and sanitation services,
lack of employment opportunities and very limited State
support for income-generating activities, especially for
women. In addition, obstacles to access credit, land
dispossession, reduced State investment in facilities, early
pregnancies, illegal mining and pollution of the environment
and natural resources results in high levels of
dissatisfaction of people of African descent. The experts
noted that these issues have led to mistrust and scepticism
towards State and local authorities despite repeated
promises, for failing to protect them and guarantee their
rights.
“We are proud to be Maroons,” said a woman
of African descent in her discussions with the experts.
“We, Black people, can work hard and contribute to the
wealth of this country. But we receive no State support,”
said another.
The experts regretted the lack of
available data disaggregated notably by race or ethnic
origin to assess the extent to which people of African
descent enjoy their rights and urged Suriname to collect,
publish and use such data.
The Working Group called on
Suriname to fully comply with and implement the commitments
of the Second International Decade of people of African
descent 2025-2034 and fulfil its obligations under the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination.
The Working Group will present
a full report to the Human Rights Council in September
2025.
*The
experts:
The Working
Group of Experts on People of African Descent was
established on 25 April 2002 by the then Commission on Human
Rights, following the World Conference against Racism held
in Durban in 2001. It is composed of five independent
experts: Ms. Bina D’Costa, current Chair-Rapporteur; Ms.
Barbara G. Reynolds; Ms. Catherine S. Namakula; Ms. Miriam
Ekiudoko and Ms. Isabelle
Mamadou.
