Mr. President,
Honorable Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
Heads of Delegation,
Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me on behalf of the Suriname delegation to thank the Government and people of Honduras for the kind hospitality extended to us since our arrival and for the excellent arrangements for this meeting.

May I take this opportunity to also express our sympathy to the Government and people of Honduras following the loss of lives owing to the earthquake of last week. Furthermore, our thoughts go out to the families and friends of the passengers and crew of the aircraft that went missing after leaving Rio de Janeiro.

Mr. President,
Suriname compliments the Government of Honduras with the choice of the theme of this year’s General Assembly, “Toward a culture of non- violence”, since violence is becoming a growing problem worldwide.

The use of violence negatively impacts the lives of certain groups such as women and children especially in conflict areas.
The negative effects of violence are huge in terms of the loss of productive lives, people becoming disabled, traumatized and psychologically imbalanced. As a consequence, Governments have to allocate more - often scarce -financial, human and other resources in search for solutions.

Our hemisphere is faced with many forms of violence, including domestic- and crime related violence.
Those who use violence are becoming increasingly creative and subtle; so it is not always evident to their immediate surroundings that people are suffering. In this context I am referring to domestic violence. Home which should be a safe haven is not always that safe.

In the fight against domestic violence in Suriname, both state and non- state actors are actively involved. Especially in the area of reform of legislation efforts have been undertaken to enable us to better comply with national and international commitments.

Mr. President,
One of the pillars of the Government policy of Suriname is ensuring adequate and efficient public safety and security. To combat crime related violence, my country is working closely with other countries in the hemisphere as well as with some European countries.

Mr. President,
The current economic and financial crisis can have social consequences which if not dealt with adequately, can result in more violence.
Against this background Suriname reiterates the importance of international cooperation in addressing this issue that impacts us all.
Suriname remains committed to contribute to the discussions on the reform of the international financial system to prevent recurrence of such a crisis. We therefore express the hope that the upcoming meeting on the financial and economic crisis will result in concerted action.

A culture of non – violence and peace also implies respect for the environment. As a low lying coastal state, Suriname shares the concern with Small Island Developing States that the further rise in sea level can threaten the existence of people in coastal areas and lead to increased risks of crime and violence.

As a High Forest Low Deforestation country, Suriname has a tradition of protecting and making sustainable use of its forest. Suriname continues to advocate the creation of an international compensation mechanism for this category of countries. Existing mechanisms insufficiently address the needs of these countries while compensation can contribute to their economic growth.
We therefore call upon the support of OAS member states at the coming Summit on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen next December to support countries that preserve their forests for the benefit of all humankind.

Mr. President,
I would like to conclude my intervention by reiterating Suriname’s full commitment and readiness to cooperate and contribute to a culture of non- violence. A culture of non- violence will ultimately result in a better environment for our people to live in and to realize their dreams and ambitions. This will allow them to become citizens who are capable of contributing to the development and progress of their communities and countries in a meaningful way.

Thank you for your attention.