THE WORD ‘INTEREST’ stands for something that affects someone because it benefits them. In Suriname we know the word ‘interest’, and ‘interests’ is usually used as a plural form. When the word ‘interests’ is used, ‘political will’ is soon followed. This usually means that the ‘interests’ have a connection with ‘politics’ and that there is therefore a lack of ‘will’ to implement things that go against the benefit of a small group.
‘Interests’ and ‘political will’ are often mentioned in the same breath as the gold sector, and specifically its organization. Everyone knows that it is easy to fish in murky water, and when the bottom of the fishing pond comes into view with order, panic arises. If we look at the minimum commitment of governments of different signatures, it seems likely that interests lie on all sides and that stakeholders are pulling the strings across the board.
These interests are never clearly stated, with the result that a lot of money is invested in convincing all kinds of politicians, organizations and stakeholders to take action. This also applies to the small-scale gold sector. Meetings are held, projects are initiated and all kinds of gatherings are organized. It is all a special display, because the reason that things are not going smoothly is actually clear: there is a lack of political will.
Such a meeting, ‘Regional Dialogue for Responsible Gold Mining’, was held on Friday at the Radisson Hotel, formerly Krasnapolsky. It was an educational meeting where Minister Patrick Brunings of Oil, Gas and Environment was present almost all day, together with parts of his staff. All kinds of knowledge about small-scale gold mining in Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana was discussed, from the organization in Brazil to the traceable DNA of gold that comes from a certain area.
But while most speakers and the organization of the event spared no effort to highlight the urgency of the matter, the answer from the Surinamese authorities remained the same: ‘Cologne and Aachen were not built in one day’ and ‘we have had no money for our plans’. The only exception to this was Brunings, who was present almost all day and mainly wanted to learn from the actions already taken.
The fact that things are difficult to change in the small-scale gold sector is evident from the fact that such a conference was already held in July of last year. It was titled Towards a Shared Vision for Mercury-Free Gold Mining in the Guianas. Less than a year later, the same people were talking about the same thing again, nodding vigorously and enjoying the drinks and food.
It is not entirely clear whether an attempt will be made to (partly) apply the information presented in Surinamese reality. The speeches of the Surinamese counterparts sounded suspiciously like what has been heard before: little money for enforcement and no means for transparency. In other words: ‘there are interests at play’.
