Press Release

Financing Sustainable Development: the UN and Ministry of Finance of Suriname talk about the future

02 November 2023

On 23 October 2023 in Paramaribo, the Minister of Finance and Planning Mr. Stanley Raghoebarsing met with the UN Resident Coordinator Joanna Kazana, accompanied by UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Suriname, Mr. Berdi Berdiyev, UNICEF Head of Office for Suriname, Mr. Javier Córdoba, and Mr. Claus Eckelmann, FAO Suriname Regional Forestry Officer for the Caribbean.

group photo — Caption: From the left, UNICEF Head of Office for Suriname, Mr. Javier Córdoba, UN Resident Coordinator Joanna Kazana, the Minister of Finance and Planning, Mr. Stanley Raghoebarsing, FAO Suriname Regional Forestry Officer for the Caribbean, Mr. Claus Eckelmann and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Suriname, Mr. Berdi Berdiyev.

Photo: © UN Suriname

The UN Resident Coordinator briefed the Minister about the key priorities of the Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (MSDCF) including economic resilience, shared prosperity, gender equality, climate change resilience, natural resource management, and peacebuilding. She mentioned that in Suriname 13 UN agencies (7 resident) are providing support to implementation of the MSDCF and national priorities. She spoke about the alignment with SDGs and importance of donor coordination and long-term strategic planning, especially in the context of new opportunities and growth expected in connection with oil industry in the perspective of the next 5-7 years.

The RC congratulated the Minister on successful cooperation with the IMF. She stressed the importance of Suriname accessing global climate finance instruments and the complexity of achieving a high growth - and low carbon economy. She stressed the importance of visioning what Suriname will be in 5-7 years from now. By using the SDG as a framework for long-term planning and development, the country can ensure that people and the environment of Suriname will be benefitting from growth.

Within the forestry sector, FAO's Claus Eckelmann emphasized the importance of considering the human dimension within forest-related policies, underlining the need for sustainable and profit-driven models. The discussions also underscored the importance of investing in community-level infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Notably, the need for financial innovation and strategic investments emerged as key considerations in advancing the country's development trajectory.

Mr. Córdoba of UNICEF underscored the need for close collaboration and financing for the well-being of children, including immunization, mental health, or early childhood development.

Mr. Berdiyev of UNDP offered to continue collaboration on climate finance, effective governance, area-based development, and capacity strengthening initiatives, with a particular attention to sub-national and local level.

The Minister of Finance reflected that it is good for Suriname to have the UN by its side on the verge of historic change and major transformation of the country. He stressed the necessity of managing the country's limited resources, emphasizing the need for streamlined efforts on donor coordination, and addressing topics such as effective governance, institutional capacity, rule of law, and modernized tax and customs institutions. An important topic for the Minister was the need to prioritize day-to-day life improvements, ranging from renovating schools, enhancing infrastructure, and bolstering security, with a call to empower small and medium-sized enterprises.

The meeting concluded with a strong call for increased collaboration between the Ministry of Finance & Planning and the United Nations, envisioning a transformative path towards Suriname's long-term development goals.