Carib Scope

标签： Suriname

苏里南

  • SOVA bezorgd over waarborgen onafhankelijkheid rechterlijke macht bij wetswijzigingen

    SOVA bezorgd over waarborgen onafhankelijkheid rechterlijke macht bij wetswijzigingen

    On August 14, the Suriname Bar Association (SOVA) issued a preliminary critical statement outlining major concerns over a package of proposed constitutional and legislative amendments targeting the country’s judicial branch, stressing that any restructuring must preserve the core principle of judicial independence and longstanding institutional checks and balances.

    The amendments in question cover revisions to Suriname’s Constitution, the Law on the Legal Position of the Judiciary, and the Regulations on the Organization and Composition of the Judiciary (RIS). SOVA confirmed that it has already acknowledged the serious concerns previously raised by Suriname’s High Court of Justice and Public Prosecution Service regarding the changes. The association emphasized that this release marks an initial principled response, with a final detailed position to be published after broad consultation with its member body.

    SOVA does not reject judicial modernization outright: the organization acknowledges that ongoing evolution and upgrading of the judicial system is a necessary goal, and notes that the proposed introduction of cassation proceedings and plans to improve judicial quality, expertise, and efficiency could represent meaningful progress for Suriname’s rule of law. The association has long participated in public debates over judicial reform, having previously highlighted the critical need to uphold rule of law standards and practical prerequisites for any restructuring during industry congresses and public forums.

    At the core of SOVA’s concerns is the threat the proposed changes could pose to judicial independence, a foundational pillar of any functional rule of law that ultimately guarantees every citizen’s right to fair redress against both private parties and the state. The association argues that all adjustments to judicial governance must be rigorously reviewed to ensure existing constitutional and institutional safeguards are not only retained but strengthened where needed. It has called for particular scrutiny of proposed changes to rules governing the appointment, promotion, suspension, and dismissal of judicial officers.

    SOVA also flagged major unanswered questions about the planned creation of a third tier of courts to hear cassation appeals. The association notes that the highest judicial body in any nation must possess sufficient legal expertise, decades of judicial experience, and full institutional independence to carry out its core roles: hearing individual appeals, maintaining consistent legal interpretation across the judiciary, and upholding broader legal certainty for the public. SOVA has specifically questioned plans to weaken or eliminate existing experience requirements for judges appointed to this new highest court.

    Beyond judicial qualifications, the association stressed that clear transitional rules must be put in place before the reforms take effect. Citizens and legal practitioners alike need explicit clarity on what legal remedies will be available, what procedural timelines will apply, and how ongoing cases will be transitioned to the new framework. The absence of clear transitional provisions, SOVA warns, will create widespread legal uncertainty that directly harms the legal rights of ordinary Surinamese citizens.

    The association also turned its attention to proposed changes to the Public Prosecution Service, noting that the new rules governing appointment, oversight, and termination of prosecution officers touch on fundamental rule of law principles. SOVA argues that robust safeguards against improper political influence must be preserved, along with the institutional checks and balances that prevent overconcentration of power.

    SOVA underlined that large-scale reforms of this magnitude should only move forward after full, careful consultation with all relevant professional stakeholder groups. The judiciary, Public Prosecution Service, and the bar all bring unique on-the-ground experience and institutional knowledge necessary to accurately assess both the practical and rule of law implications of the proposed changes. Moving forward, the SOVA Council will distribute the full reform proposals to its membership, collect input and concerns from practicing attorneys across the country, and then issue a comprehensive substantive response to the planned changes.

    In closing, the association reaffirmed that any judicial reform effort must center on a single non-negotiable outcome: an independent, skilled, accessible, and high-quality justice system that effectively guarantees legal protection for all Surinamese citizens.

  • OM waarschuwt DNA: ‘Wetsvoorstellen destabiliseren de rechtsstaat’

    OM waarschuwt DNA: ‘Wetsvoorstellen destabiliseren de rechtsstaat’

    On August 14, Suriname’s Public Prosecution Service (Het Openbaar Ministerie, OM) issued an urgent formal warning to National Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin, raising grave objections to a series of proposed constitutional and judicial amendments that the agency says undermine judicial independence and the foundation of the country’s rule of law.

    The draft amendments, put forward by six initiative sponsors in early August, would revise the constitution, the Judicial Position Act, and regulations governing the structure and composition of Suriname’s judiciary. Signed by the Prosecutor-General (PG) and all prosecuting officers, the OM’s letter voices “serious dissatisfaction and fundamental concern” over the proposals, warning they pose a direct threat to the independence of the judiciary and Suriname’s broader rule of law. While the OM supports targeted modernization of the judicial branch, the agency stresses any reform must come “without concessions to the principle of the rule of law” — a standard the current proposals fail to meet, instead eroding core institutional safeguards.

    One of the most contentious provisions is a proposed cap of “at most 7 years” for the Prosecutor-General’s term of office. The OM warns this vague wording opens the door to arbitrary shorter appointments, creating a clear pathway for political interference in prosecutorial work. This directly contradicts the judiciary’s own proposal, which calls for a minimum 7-year term to protect institutional independence.

    Earlier this year, the PG unveiled its own plan for a modernized OM, which included a rotation system for the PG position, expanding the number of Advocates-General (AGs), and establishing a dedicated OM Council. The new draft proposals include no provisions to advance these strengthening measures, the OM says, and instead amount to “destabilization of the rule of law and disavowal of the judicial branch.”

    To address the loss of lifetime appointments for the PG that the reforms propose, the OM has put forward a counterproposal: granting lifetime appointments to Advocates-General. The agency argues this would guarantee stability, objectivity, and independence, allowing AGs to carry out their work “without any reservation and free from political influence.”

    The OM also highlights additional alarming flaws in the draft. The proposals eliminate the mandatory advisory input from the High Court of Justice when appointing new AGs, a check the OM calls a critical safeguard for “expertise, quality and independence.” Removing this provision directly strikes at the institutional independence and continuity of the entire judicial branch, the agency says.

    Another widely opposed change is the proposal to lower the retirement age for OM staff: 65 years for the Prosecutor-General and 60 years for all other prosecuting officers. The OM warns this change will trigger a mass exodus of experienced prosecutors, eroding the overall quality and operational capacity of the agency. The provision also creates an unexplained discrepancy with the 70-year retirement age for High Court justices, despite the constitution guaranteeing equal status for all judicial officers.

    The OM’s own proposal for an OM Council to replace the current management team was rejected by lawmakers. Instead, legislators propose creating a Governing Board with 2 to 4 AGs, a structure the OM calls practically unworkable, since existing law only authorizes 2 AG positions overall. The OM also wants chief prosecutors to gain seats on the governing body to ensure effective operational oversight, a provision not included in the draft.

    On the financial side, the OM describes the proposals as bringing a “drastic deterioration” of judicial employment conditions, eroding existing rights and legal certainty. While judicial branch representatives already agreed to targeted financial concessions during negotiations with President Jennifer Simons in a spirit of reasonableness and responsibility, the OM rejects the unilateral, deep salary cuts included in the draft. The cuts raise serious questions about proportionality, fairness, and respect for the special constitutional status of judicial officeholders, the agency says.

    In closing, the OM warns that destabilizing the authority of the prosecutorial service will carry far-reaching consequences, including damage to international confidence in Suriname, harm to the national economy, and a deterioration of the country’s investment climate. The agency has issued an urgent appeal to Assembly Speaker Adhin to give full and serious consideration to the judicial branch’s own reform proposals, stating it expects “no legislation will be enacted that destabilizes the judicial branch and the rule of law in Suriname.”

    Copies of the letter have been distributed to President Jennifer Simons, the president of the High Court, and professional associations representing lawyers, notaries, and court bailiffs to raise broader awareness of the institutional risks posed by the amendments.

  • President Simons bevriest mijnbouwconcessies en wil volledig overzicht concessiehouders

    President Simons bevriest mijnbouwconcessies en wil volledig overzicht concessiehouders

    In a formal policy directive dated mid-August, Suriname President Jennifer Simons has implemented an immediate temporary freeze on the issuance of new mining concessions, alongside a ban on the extension or transfer of existing concessions across the country’s mining sector. This administrative action does not suspend ongoing legal mining operations or revoke currently held concessions, but it puts a halt to any expansion or change in the country’s existing concession structure while the government completes a comprehensive sector-wide review.

    Simons has formally instructed Minister of Natural Resources David Abiamofo to compile a full, detailed public inventory of all active mining concessions and their current holders, to bring long-needed transparency to the opaque sector. The president outlined five key policy drivers that motivated the temporary freeze in her written directive to the minister.

    First, the government has already launched a formal process to protect the ancestral residential and livelihood lands of Suriname’s Indigenous and tribal communities, which have repeatedly been threatened by unregulated mining expansion. Second, the administration is advancing new protections for ecologically critical forested areas across the country that are not currently formally protected. Third, the government is conducting a complete mapping and inventory of all existing mining concession areas, particularly those dedicated to small and large-scale gold mining, which currently lacks centralized public tracking. This process will give policymakers clear insight into the current state of the sector after decades of unregulated growth.

    Fourth, the government has prioritized addressing the widespread environmental and public health harms caused by unregulated chemical use in artisanal and industrial gold mining, particularly mercury pollution that contaminates river systems and food supplies across large swathes of the country. Officials are developing a new regulatory framework to strengthen monitoring of chemical use and the environmental impacts of common gold extraction techniques. Fifth, the administration plans to open formal consultations with current concession holders to develop a transition program toward more environmentally responsible mining methods that reduce harm to local communities and ecosystems.

    The dual-track policy freezes any changes to the current concession landscape while the government completes its inventory and regulatory planning, preventing new development that could undermine ongoing conservation and land protection efforts. The move responds to longstanding unresolved concerns about unregulated mining expansion across Suriname, which has disproportionately displaced Indigenous communities, destroyed critical tropical rainforest, and left widespread toxic pollution that has harmed public health for decades.

    Notably, Simons’ directive does not specify how long the temporary freeze will remain in place, nor does it outline what policy changes will be implemented for existing concessions after the inventory and review process is complete. The president’s statement only confirms that the temporary pause will remain in effect until the government achieves greater sector transparency, implements targeted land and environmental protections, and strengthens regulatory oversight of mining operations nationwide.

  • De FATF-klok tikt, Suriname rent weer op het laatste moment

    De FATF-klok tikt, Suriname rent weer op het laatste moment

    As a critical international deadline looms, Suriname is racing against the clock to implement remaining regulatory measures against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing to avoid being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setter for combating illicit financial activity. To prevent lasting damage to the country’s international financial standing, new legislation must be passed, executive decrees finalized, and regulatory institutions strengthened—all at a pace that has put the nation’s long-proven ability to deliver under last-minute pressure to the test. For decades, Suriname has developed a reputation for slipping through regulatory deadlines at the eleventh hour, and many observers expect that pattern to hold this time around. While legislation can technically be rushed through parliament overnight, building a robust, fully functional anti-illicit finance system is a far more complex task that cannot be completed in hours.

  • Khudabux: Compliance wordt in Suriname afgestraft, non-compliance loont

    Khudabux: Compliance wordt in Suriname afgestraft, non-compliance loont

    Speaking at a recent CEO Talk hosted by the Suriname Association of Economists (VES), Farsi Khudabux, chief executive of leading local firm Baitali, has delivered a searing critique of Suriname’s deteriorating business climate, warning that law-abiding enterprises are increasingly disadvantaged compared to competitors that cut corners or openly flout existing regulations.

    In his presentation, Khudabux outlined five major systemic bottlenecks holding back Suriname’s private sector: businesses are not taken seriously by authorities, weak enforcement of existing laws and regulations, routine violations of public procurement rules, excessive foreign influence over domestic decision-making, and the overuse of limited government funding as an excuse to delay necessary actions for economic development.

    “In Suriname today, compliance is punished, and non-compliance pays,” Khudabux stated, adding that the operating environment for legitimate businesses is increasingly taking on the characteristics of the “Wild West.” He explained that unlicensed, unauthorized operations are allowed to continue in multiple sectors without meaningful intervention from regulators.

    As a concrete example of this unfair dynamic, Khudabux pointed to the cross-border crushed stone trade between Suriname’s Nickerie district and Guyana. Vessels carrying crushed stone traverse the Corantijn River without required export documentation, notifications to the Suriname Maritime Authority, or payment of mandatory port fees and other legal levies. This creates an immediate cost disadvantage for businesses that follow all regulatory requirements.

    The crushed stone market operates on extremely thin margins that depend on high sales volume to generate profit, meaning even small cost differences can drive compliant firms out of the market. Khudabux revealed that Baitali was forced to shut down one of its operations as a direct result of this unfair competition, eliminating 34 jobs in the process.

    Khudabux did not limit his criticism to government failures. He also called out Suriname’s organized private sector for failing to present a unified, strong front to advocate for fair rules. Business associations, he argued, have a responsibility not only to represent member interests but also to hold the government accountable for its commitments. He cited widespread late payments to contracted businesses by the government, sudden unannounced policy shifts, and unnecessarily lengthy permit approval processes as common issues that industry groups accept too passively. When the government breaks its agreements, Khudabux said, trade associations often respond only with mild, cautious statements, a practice he labeled “baking sweet buns” – or avoiding tough confrontation. “We need to get serious about doing business in Suriname, even when that means holding the government accountable,” he said.

    On the topic of public procurement, Khudabux was equally sharp, noting that the government’s own procurement rules are routinely ignored from the initial publication tender periods through to bid evaluation and final contract awards. He called this situation particularly contradictory amid widespread official rhetoric about boosting local content and supporting domestic enterprises. “A country cannot claim it wants to strengthen local businesses on one hand, then allow those same firms to be disadvantaged by broken procurement rules and unequal competitive conditions on the other,” he said.

    Khudabux also raised alarms about the outsized influence of foreign financial institutions and donors on Suriname’s national decision-making. He highlighted an infrastructure case where a foreign financier pressured the Surinamese government after a domestic court issued a final ruling, arguing that foreign funding must never be placed above the authority of Suriname’s own legal system.

    Khudabux emphasized that his critique was not intended as a simple list of complaints, but as a call for systemic change aligned with a broader vision for a healthier Surinamese economy. A thriving business climate requires more than just capital and headline GDP growth, he argued: it depends above all on predictable policy, a level playing field for all enterprises, independent public institutions, and consistent enforcement of the rule of law. This, Khudabux added, also requires a cultural shift within the private sector itself. Rather than waiting for problems to resolve themselves, local business leaders must come together to demand clear, equal rules for all market participants and hold the government to its own commitments. “This is not complaining,” he stressed. “This is a call to action.”

  • Simons: Malariavrij Suriname moet alert blijven op grenzen en goudvelden

    Simons: Malariavrij Suriname moet alert blijven op grenzen en goudvelden

    The South American nation of Suriname, the first country in the Amazon region to secure WHO certification of malaria-free status, cannot afford to relax its public health efforts, President Jennifer Simons has warned. Speaking at the opening of a two-day subregional malaria elimination summit hosted in Paramaribo at the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Labor headquarters, Simons emphasized that malaria-free status is not an end point, but a permanent commitment that requires daily active monitoring.

    Organized jointly by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Subregional Meeting on Malaria Elimination in the Guiana Shield brings together health leaders from across the region to coordinate cross-border strategies to sustain elimination gains. While Suriname’s achievement represents a historic public health milestone for the Amazon basin, Simons stressed that complacency could reverse years of progress. “Today we look back on this effort with joy and pride, and we celebrate our result. But now we face a new, equally critical challenge,” the president told attendees.

    Simons highlighted two ongoing high-risk factors that threaten to reintroduce malaria to Suriname: heavy cross-border population movement and unregulated activities in remote gold mining regions. Malaria does not respect national boundaries, she noted, with frequent movement of communities and workers across Suriname’s borders with Brazil, Guyana, and French Guiana creating constant transmission risks. To mitigate these threats, the president called for deeper cross-regional collaboration, enhanced routine surveillance systems, and targeted deployment of diagnostic services and medical care directly to remote mining sites where exposure risks are highest.

    Gold mining regions remain a top priority for sustained surveillance, Simons added, as these remote, often mobile work sites can easily become breeding grounds for malaria resurgence if left unmonitored. She argued that sustained malaria elimination requires an integrated, multi-sector approach that aligns public health, natural resource management, and national security policy. This means close coordination between Suriname’s ministries of health, natural resources, and justice and security, with prioritization of public health access even for workers in remote mining concessions. Public health education for at-risk communities must also remain a top priority, with programs from different government and non-government actors aligned to avoid gaps in coverage. “Our population is only guaranteed protection against malaria if we maintain these approaches, keep constant coordination, and align program delivery across sectors,” Simons said.

    Beyond protecting its own malaria-free status, Suriname is committed to supporting neighboring countries to achieve full elimination, the president confirmed. The country’s national malaria program has been designated a Regional Centre of Excellence, which will allow Suriname to train field workers and clinicians from across the Guiana Shield region, sharing its hard-won experience to accelerate elimination efforts across South America. To uphold this regional leadership role, Simons noted that Suriname must continue investing in its own rural health infrastructure, with the country’s Medical Mission service playing a central role in ongoing surveillance in remote inland areas.

    Simons also proposed the development of a shared regional digital alert platform to enable faster sharing of malaria surveillance and outbreak data between bordering nations. “Let us work toward a regional digital surveillance and alert platform, bring care and diagnostics directly to gold fields, and align our monitoring efforts across borders,” she said. The two-day summit is designed to advance these coordination goals, aligning strategies among Guiana Shield nations to prevent the reintroduction of malaria to areas that have already eliminated the disease and speed up elimination efforts across the region. While Simons acknowledged that full regional elimination will not happen quickly, she pointed to Suriname’s success as proof that the goal is achievable with sustained commitment. “No one here can promise we will achieve this in a few months,” she said. “But because we have seen it work in Suriname, I know for certain that with continued effort and collaboration, it is absolutely within reach.”

  • Regering legt eerste voorstel voor looncorrectie ambtenaren op tafel

    Regering legt eerste voorstel voor looncorrectie ambtenaren op tafel

    On August 13, formal negotiations over wage corrections and additional compensation for civil servants and equivalent public sector workers entered a new, more intensive phase at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Suriname, after the government tabled its first formal proposal to union representatives. While the proposal marks a key milestone in ongoing discussions over public sector pay, no final agreement has been reached yet, with both sides set to continue intensive talks in the coming weeks to bridge gaps between competing priorities.

    High-level government officials led the discussions on the state’s side, including Marinus Bee, Minister of Internal Affairs; Adelien Wijnerman, Minister of Finance and Planning; and Raj Jadnanansing, Deputy Minister of Public Health, Welfare and Labor. The government’s negotiation body, chaired by Delano Landvreugd, also participated in the talks, alongside union representatives from two of the country’s largest labor federations, Ravaksur and CLO.

    The core goal of the negotiations is to improve the income position of public sector employees, a longstanding demand from labor groups. In structuring its opening proposal, the government has emphasized that it must balance this demand against the country’s existing public financial constraints. No details have been released to the public regarding the specific content or total scope of the government’s initial offer, to preserve the integrity of closed-door negotiations.

    Following the government’s presentation, union representatives put forward their own set of demands, priorities, and counter-proposals, all of which will be taken into account as talks move forward. Moving ahead, upcoming negotiation sessions will focus on reconciling two core competing priorities: the public sector workforce’s widespread call for meaningful income improvements, and the limited fiscal and economic space available to the government to implement new spending measures.

    Minister Bee stressed in a statement following the first session that the negotiation process remains ongoing and far from concluded. He confirmed that talks will continue at an accelerated pace in the coming period, with the shared end goal of reaching a consensus on a final package of wage adjustment and compensation measures that works for both the government and public sector employees.

  • Domineestraat maandag weer open, renovatie sneller dan gepland

    Domineestraat maandag weer open, renovatie sneller dan gepland

    Road rehabilitation projects rarely beat tight deadlines, but a major street upgrade in Suriname is defying expectations: the heavily worked section of Domineestraat between Neumanpad and Steenbakkerijstraat is set to reopen to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic on Monday, August 17, more than two weeks ahead of the original timeline.

    The upgrade work first kicked off on August 3 of this year. Initially, public works officials mapped out a full four-week timeline to complete all core and finishing upgrades for the busy stretch, but authorities prioritized early reopening to minimize disruption for local residents and commuters. That urgency pushed the project’s lead contractor, Tjongalanga N.V., to accelerate work without sacrificing build quality, according to senior officials.

    Vikash Moenna, deputy director of Dry Civil Engineering at Suriname’s Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning, confirmed that the first layer of asphalt was successfully laid on the planned Friday schedule, putting the project well on track for the Monday reopening. In comments to Suriname’s Communication Service, Moenna noted that the contractor has already reached an advanced stage of completion across all core works. While the full street will open to traffic on schedule, Moenna added that a small set of residual finishing works will continue after reopening, including hardening of the road shoulders and the installation of new drainage infrastructure to tackle chronic flooding in the area.

    Among the key post-reopening works is the construction of a new inspection manhole on the main sewer line at the intersection of Domineestraat and Jodenbreestraat. This targeted upgrade is specifically designed to reduce persistent waterlogging that has plagued the neighborhood during heavy rain events, addressing a longstanding quality of life issue for local residents.

    Monna voiced clear satisfaction with the contractor’s performance, noting that the team pulled off the accelerated timeline through extraordinary effort. Even with unforeseen challenges that emerged during the construction phase, Moenna confirmed the project remains within its approved budget and is on track to wrap all works fully according to the adjusted schedule.

    Crucially, Moenna emphasized that the accelerated timeline has not come at the cost of construction quality. Public works teams carry out daily on-site supervision and quality checks, and a full battery of standardized compliance tests is required after project completion to confirm the work meets all national engineering specifications. “These tests are written directly into the contractor’s contract, and the firm must demonstrate that all work meets high quality standards before handover,” Moenna explained.

    The full Domineestraat rehabilitation project is a collaborative effort, delivered by lead contractor Tjongalanga N.V. in partnership with Suriname’s main utility providers: water utility SWM, energy provider EBS, and telecommunications firm Telesur.

  • Staatsolie vernieuwt AdeKUS-faciliteiten voor technisch onderwijs

    Staatsolie vernieuwt AdeKUS-faciliteiten voor technisch onderwijs

    In a major push to upgrade technical higher education in Suriname, state-owned energy firm Staatsolie has committed to fully funding the renovation of two long-neglected campus buildings at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname (AdeKUS), aiming to deliver improved learning and practical training facilities for roughly 200 engineering students by the end of 2025.

    The official partnership agreement was signed by Patrick Peneux on behalf of AdeKUS, and Annand Jagesar, CEO of Staatsolie, who also carried out the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on August 13. The two facilities targeted for upgrades are the university’s aging wood workshop and mechanical engineering hall, both of which have fallen into severe disrepair over decades of use. The wood workshop has sat unused for years due to its unsafe, dilapidated condition; following renovation, it will be repurposed into new lecture space for electrical and mechanical engineering students. The existing mechanical engineering lecture and practical training halls, which have also deteriorated over time, will undergo a full overhaul as well.

    When construction wraps up by the end of the year, the upgraded facilities will provide approximately 200 students from AdeKUS’ Faculty of Technological Sciences (FTeW) with a safer, more functional environment for both theoretical coursework and hands-on practical training, addressing longstanding infrastructure gaps at the public university.

    This renovation project forms part of Staatsolie’s series of social and community development initiatives launched to celebrate the company’s 45th anniversary, which was commemorated in December 2024. All anniversary projects operate under the core motto “Empowering communities and institutions”.

    For Staatsolie, the education investment is far more than a corporate social responsibility project: it is a strategic response to the rapidly growing demand for skilled technical workers driven by Suriname’s emerging offshore oil and gas sector. As new energy operations expand across the country’s offshore waters, company leaders project that demand for well-trained technical professionals and specialized engineering expertise will continue to climb sharply in the coming years. This investment directly aligns with long-term efforts to build a local talent pipeline that can support the sector’s growth.

    This is not the first time Staatsolie has prioritized investment in technical and vocational education across Suriname. The company previously spearheaded the creation of the NATIN Oil and Gas Training Program, and has continuously invested in modernizing technical curricula and practical training facilities across the country. It also supports vocational training programs — including certified welding courses — through the Foundation for Labor Mobilization and Development. Additionally, through the SURICAP program, Staatsolie partners with multinational energy firms, the Surinamese government, local educational institutions and the private sector to strengthen the overall quality of technical and vocational education across the nation.

  • CARICOM-ministers van Onderwijs starten tweedaagse vergadering in Guyana

    CARICOM-ministers van Onderwijs starten tweedaagse vergadering in Guyana

    On Wednesday, education ministers from across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) convened in Georgetown, Guyana, for the opening of the 52nd meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development – Education, a two-day gathering that coincides with the annual International Youth Day to amplify focus on youth opportunity across the region. Dirk Currie, Minister of Education, Science and Culture, is among the high-level delegates participating in the meeting, which is chaired by Guyana’s own Minister of Education Sonia Parag.

    This year’s summit centers on the unifying theme “Educating for Life, Purpose and Caribbean Progress.” During the opening plenary session, Parag pushed back against the narrow framing of education as mere knowledge transfer and exam preparation, arguing that 21st-century schooling must prioritize equipping learners with transferable critical thinking skills, adaptive capacity to navigate a rapidly shifting global landscape, and the tools to contribute meaningfully to their local and national communities.

    In addition to cabinet-level education ministers from CARICOM member states, the gathering brings together representatives from regional educational bodies, international partner organizations, and a wide range of education sector stakeholders. Key topics on the meeting’s working agenda include the expansion of micro-credentialing programs across the region, the development of standardized regional education assessments, strengthening primary and secondary mathematics curricula, and expanding structured professional development opportunities for in-service teachers throughout CARICOM member nations.

    CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett used her opening address to shine a spotlight on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), a sector she framed as increasingly critical to the bloc’s economic resilience and employment outcomes. Barnett emphasized that technical, vocational, and digital literacy skills are growing in demand across every sector of the Caribbean economy, linking widespread access to high-quality TVET directly to improved job placement and long-term economic stability for member states. “TVET is recognized as a strategic investment in the resilience and competitiveness of the entire region,” Barnett stated in her remarks.

    Barnett shared her optimism that the two-day meeting will deliver actionable policy frameworks to strengthen national education systems across the bloc, and advance a shared regional vision for education: an inclusive learning environment that values every student, fosters cross-border and cross-institutional collaboration, and prepares all Caribbean citizens to thrive in an increasingly interconnected, dynamic global economy.

    The timing of the summit, which overlaps with International Youth Day, underscores the urgent priority CARICOM places on expanding accessible, inclusive education, mental health support, and economic opportunity for young people across the region. Ultimately, the meeting forms a key part of CARICOM’s ongoing effort to refine regional education policy, with the core goal of equipping young Caribbean people with the skills and knowledge they need to flourish amid global change and drive long-term sustainable development across the Caribbean bloc.