An internationally composed coalition of Surinamese diaspora representatives has issued a formal demand for the Surinamese government to finally implement constitutional obligations outlined in the 1975 Transfer Agreement. In an open letter addressed to President Jennifer Simons, the group asserts that the continued absence of a comprehensive national diaspora policy has become indefensible.
The letter specifically references Article 5, Section 2 of the Transfer Agreement, which legally obligates the Surinamese state to provide equal treatment, access, and residency rights to persons of Surinamese descent regardless of their country of residence or nationality. Despite marking fifty years of independence, this constitutional commitment remains unfulfilled through coherent policy implementation, representing what the diaspora terms a persistent failure to execute state legal agreements.
While acknowledging the existing PSA policy as a useful preliminary measure, the diaspora characterizes it as fundamentally insufficient due to its lack of an integrated, interministerial, and structural framework. The current approach suffers from institutional fragmentation, inadequate coordination, and insufficient legal certainty for diaspora members, primarily due to the absence of a designated policy authority.
The coalition advocates for the immediate establishment of a Directorate for Diaspora Policy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business, and International Cooperation. This proposed directorate would be led by an appointed director with explicit mandate to develop cohesive policies addressing access rights, nationality provisions, settlement procedures, labor regulations, and developmental engagement opportunities.
Emphasizing that they are requesting compliance rather than special favors, the diaspora warns that further delay in implementing these obligations would constitute legal, administrative, and social irresponsibility. The group has made the full text of their open letter publicly available for download.