Suriname reaffirms commitment to CARICOM

The Republic of Suriname has reaffirmed its commitment to the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) through a new ambassador who was
accredited by the CARICOM Secretary-General on Wednesday 30 January
2020.

The accreditation ceremony took place at the Georgetown, Guyana Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat.

In accepting the Letter of Credence of Her Excellency Ms. Chairme Haakmat, CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque lauded the strides the Community is making through Suriname’s leadership in Culture, Gender, Youth, and Sport.

He told Ambassador Haakmat that her role will involve assisting in
advancing the implementation of decisions of the Organs of the
Community, at the national level. He added that she will have an
important role in facilitation national consultation on the successor of
the 2019 CARICOM Strategic Plan, the “Results-Focused Community
Strategic Plan 2020.” The CARICOM Secretariat is in the process of
developing that plan.

As a new Ambassador of Suriname to CARICOM, the Secretary-General
told Ms Kaakmat that she becomes a member of the CARICOM Committee of
Ambassadors which is an important element in the governance structure of
the Community.

Secretary-General LaRocque said the Committee of Ambassador’s
principal focus is advancing the integration process. He said it
provides strategic advice and recommendations to the Community Council
towards achieving that goal. He added that the Committee also provides
support and advice on the reform and restructuring of the CARICOM
Secretariat, and the wider Community construct.

“A significant part of your mandate is to engage and interact with
the citizens of your country, to highlight and promote the objectives,
work and benefits of the Community. This is an essential contribution to
strengthening the CARICOM Identity and Spirit of Community,” the
Secretary-General told the new Ambassador.

Ms Kaakmat said her country is committed to guard and to promote
regional integration.  She said Suriname is also commitment to
fulfilling the mandates towards the youth, and will continue to support
youth participation.

“Within Suriname’s responsibility for Community Development and
Cultural Cooperation, including Culture, Gender, Youth and Sport, youth
participation and the investment in our youth is one of President
Bouterse’ s personal goals. Suriname will continue to support youth
participation at all levels of decision making.”

Highlighting Suriname’s efforts to strengthen relations with sister
Member States, she noted cooperation with Antigua and Barbuda, and with
Barbados in the agriculture sector.

She noted that Suriname will continue to work to achieve the ideals
of the CARICOM Joint Enterprises. Suriname adopted this mechanism in
2012 for the joint efforts of the CARICOM private sector to achieve more
sustainable job opportunities in the Community.

Suriname, she added, will continue to advocate at the international
level for the need for adequate financing for climate change in
particular for high-forest/low-deforestation (HFLD), as mandated by the
HFLD conference held in February last year.