PANAMA CITY — Minister Miquella Huur of Regional Development (RO) stated during the eighteenth Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (20-21 October) in Panama City that international financing must better reflect the vulnerabilities and contribution to environmental protection of countries such as Suriname. During her speech, the minister pointed out the special position of Suriname as a forest-rich, but climate-vulnerable country. In 2024, almost 93 percent of Surinamese territory was covered by forest. However, the country faces challenges such as flooding, sea level rise and salinization.
Huur emphasized that international cooperation and accessible financing are necessary to promote sustainable development in climate-vulnerable countries such as Suriname. She pointed out that no country can build a resilient future independently. She therefore called for international solidarity, sustainable partnerships and financing that actually contributes to better living conditions. According to the minister, the success of development should not only be measured by investments and completed projects, but above all by the positive changes in the lives of citizens.
On the other hand, the minister underlined the importance of strong government institutions, effective decentralization and good financial management. According to her, national development objectives should be better aligned with district development plans and government budgets. There is also a need to strengthen the capacity of government agencies to effectively prepare, implement and evaluate development projects. The forum was all about converting development agreements into concrete results.
