GENEVA, Nov 2, CMC -Suriname Monday acknowledge that it still has important human rights obligations that have not been fully met, including the legal recognition of the collective fundamental rights of indigenous and tribal peoples as well as the establishment of an independent human rights institute.
The human rights record of the Dutch-s[peaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country was examined by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the fourth time and Justice and Security Minister, Harish Monorath, said the government intends to have the national human rights institute operational by 2027.
Monorath is leading the delegation making the presentation and he acknowledged that while Paramaribo has made progress with legislation and institutional reforms, it is still behind in the actual implementation of some.
He said that the adoption of laws is insufficient in itself and that institutions, financial resources, and accessible procedures must also be available to protect rights in practice.
The Jennifer Geerlings-Simons administration acknowledged that one of the most significant backlogs concerns the collective rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. It said that the international rulings in the Moiwana, Saramaka, and Kaliña and Lokono cases have not yet been fully implemented.
The legislative proposal on the collective rights of indigenous and tribal peoples is still under consideration by the National Assembly. In May 2026, the Land Rights Project 2026–2030 was launched with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). This is intended to contribute to consultation with communities and the development of a legal framework.
Monorath spoke of the importance of meaningful community involvement in decisions regarding their territories, with attention to the principle of free, prior, and informed consent. The government acknowledges that important recommendations still need to be implemented in this area.
The establishment of an independent National Human Rights Institute has also not yet been finalized. According to Monorath, a legal basis for this has existed since 1986, but work is underway to modernize the legal framework.
The Human Rights Committee of the National Assembly is preparing legislation. A major bottleneck is funding. The government is investigating a model in which the Ministry of Justice and Security financially supports the start-up, after which the institute must function independently.
Monorath said that independence must not only be legally established but also be evident in funding, appointment procedures, and administrative autonomy. The government aims for 2027 for the institute to be fully operational.
Another outstanding issue is the establishment of a Children’s Ombudsman. Although the law in question entered into force in January 2025, the institution is not yet functioning. The government has since established a working group to make the organizational and administrative preparations.
Monorath said that independent leadership, sufficient resources, and accessible complaint procedures, among other things, must be arranged.
The approach to domestic violence also continues to require attention and whie the National Council for Domestic Violence was established in November 2025 and has drafted a concept policy framework for 2026–2028, the proposed amendments to the law against domestic violence, including stronger protection against psychological violence, have been submitted to the Council of State.
But Monorath told the UN body that Suriname has made progress in several areas including the expansion of the judiciary. He said that on October 23, 15 new judges were installed, bringing the total number to 45.
In addition, eleven judicial officers in training are expected to complete their programme in 2027.
The government is aso reporting progress on freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and access to government information. It said the legislative proposal regarding the public disclosure of administrative information is still under consideration.
CMC/kj/ir/2026