UN Secretary General: Suriname's Commitment to Rainforest Conservation Gives "Hope and Inspiration to the World"

PARAMARIBO, Suriname – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says Suriname gives “hope and inspiration to the world to save our rainforests”. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres (center) meets with members of agricultural cooperatives led by indigenous women and men in Pierre Kondre- Redi Doti Village, in Suriname's tropical forest belt. (Photo credit: UN News/Laura Quiñones)He made the comment on Saturday as he saw first-hand the commitment of the Surinamese people to protect their natural treasures and ancestral knowledge. 

“Rainforests are a precious gift to humanity. That is why from here in Suriname, I want to send a message to the world: We must honor and preserve the gift of rainforests because this is not a gift that will keep on giving”, Guterres told reporters at a joint press conference with Suriname President Chan Santokhi at the end of his first day in the CARICOM member-country. 

The UN chief also delivered a stark warning: “If we keep seeing the [current] scale of destruction across the world’s rainforests, we are not just biting the hand that feeds us – we are tearing it to shreds”. 

Guterres stressed that rampant deforestation and worsening climate impacts are increasing forest fires and droughts. 

“This is outrageous and shameful.  It is global suicide in slow motion,” he said, adding that such destruction should be “a global wake-up call to save the lungs of our planet.”

Earlier on Saturday, the UN said the Secretary-General visited the indigenous village of Pierre Kondre – Redi Doti, some 67 kilometers to the south of here. 

The UN said the area is surrounded by 9,000 hectares of forest, and home to about 100 inhabitants. 

After driving through the iron-rich countryside, characterized by its reddish soil, Guterres was received by the Captain Lloyd Read of the Kaliña peoples, along with the women and men of the community. 

“The challenge [we face] to protect Mother Earth and the Amazon rainforest is not appreciated and poses threats to our lives,” Read lamented, adding that his people – through no fault of their own – are currently endangered due to exploitation of natural resources and the consequences of climate change, such as large and sustained rainfall and flooding. 

Read said that mercury contamination – mainly caused by illegal extractive activities – is also threatening indigenous lives and livelihoods in the region. 

“In the South, life is ruined by mercury,” he said. “There is no fish, no meat and no clean water to drink. Even extremely high levels of this metal have been found in the hair of our natives.” 

The Secretary-General noted these concerns and asked Read for more details, promising to be the “spokesperson” of the community during his later meeting with government officials. 

“This is a visit of solidarity with the indigenous communities in Suriname and around the world,” Guterres said. “When we witness that we are still losing the battle of climate change, when you see biodiversity more and more threatened everywhere, when you see pollution around the world, it is very important to recognize that indigenous communities are showing the wisdom, the resilience and the will to be in peace with nature.” 

The UN said Suriname might be the smallest and least populated country in South America, but it is also one of the greenest. 

Considered a global leader in biodiversity conservation, with more than 90 per cent of its land surface covered by native forests, the UN said the nation’s unrivaled natural resources more than make up for its size. 

 Suriname is considered a carbon-negative country, as its rainforests absorb more emissions than the country emits.

“Thick green foliage seems to be just about everywhere, even near the outskirts of the capital, Paramaribo, which is itself dotted with bustling markets and cultural centers,” the UN said.

The UN chief stressed that, unfortunately, Suriname stands out as “an exception in a world that is moving in the wrong direction.” 

“Around the world, we are seeing the failure of climate leadership and the proliferation of disastrous climate disruption,” he said. “To meet the goal of limiting temperature rise by 1.5 degrees, global emissions must decline by 45 per cent by 2030.  

“Yet, current national climate pledges would result in an increase in emissions of 14 per cent by 2030,” Guterres warned. 

Underlining that the big emissions emitters have a particular responsibility, he highlighted that Caribbean nations are “on the front lines of the climate crisis and have consistently shown steadfast leadership. 

“As I saw today, we have the tools and the know-how,” Guterres said. “Our world needs the political will and solidarity to make the difference that is needed. 

“Suriname and the Caribbean region are leading the path forward,” he added. “We must follow that lead – for people, for posterity and for our planet.” 

The Secretary General will be in Suriname until Sunday, when he will attend the opening of the 43rd Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government.