The Republic of Suriname has reaffirmed its commitment to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) through a new ambassador who was accredited by the CARICOM Secretary-General on Wednesday 30 January 2020.
The accreditation ceremony took place at the Georgetown, Guyana Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat.
In accepting the Letter of Credence of Her Excellency Ms. Chairme Haakmat, CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque lauded the strides the Community is making through Suriname’s leadership in Culture, Gender, Youth, and Sport.
He told Ambassador Haakmat that her role will involve assisting in advancing the implementation of decisions of the Organs of the Community, at the national level. He added that she will have an important role in facilitation national consultation on the successor of the 2019 CARICOM Strategic Plan, the “Results-Focused Community Strategic Plan 2020.” The CARICOM Secretariat is in the process of developing that plan.
As a new Ambassador of Suriname to CARICOM, the Secretary-General told Ms Kaakmat that she becomes a member of the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors which is an important element in the governance structure of the Community.
Secretary-General LaRocque said the Committee of Ambassador’s principal focus is advancing the integration process. He said it provides strategic advice and recommendations to the Community Council towards achieving that goal. He added that the Committee also provides support and advice on the reform and restructuring of the CARICOM Secretariat, and the wider Community construct.
“A significant part of your mandate is to engage and interact with the citizens of your country, to highlight and promote the objectives, work and benefits of the Community. This is an essential contribution to strengthening the CARICOM Identity and Spirit of Community,” the Secretary-General told the new Ambassador.
Ms Kaakmat said her country is committed to guard and to promote regional integration. She said Suriname is also commitment to fulfilling the mandates towards the youth, and will continue to support youth participation.
“Within Suriname’s responsibility for Community Development and Cultural Cooperation, including Culture, Gender, Youth and Sport, youth participation and the investment in our youth is one of President Bouterse’ s personal goals. Suriname will continue to support youth participation at all levels of decision making.”
Highlighting Suriname’s efforts to strengthen relations with sister Member States, she noted cooperation with Antigua and Barbuda, and with Barbados in the agriculture sector.
She noted that Suriname will continue to work to achieve the ideals of the CARICOM Joint Enterprises. Suriname adopted this mechanism in 2012 for the joint efforts of the CARICOM private sector to achieve more sustainable job opportunities in the Community.
Suriname, she added, will continue to advocate at the international level for the need for adequate financing for climate change in particular for high-forest/low-deforestation (HFLD), as mandated by the HFLD conference held in February last year.
