The preparation of Suriname’s human rights report to the United Nations was complicated because various ministries and government agencies provided insufficient information or failed to provide it on time. According to Minister Harish Monorath of Justice and Security, the Bureau Mensenrechten (Human Rights Bureau) sent as many as 64 letters to gather the required data. In several cases, responses were not received or were inadequate.
The minister said this on Monday, November 2, 2026, in an interview with Key News in Geneva, shortly after Suriname presented its fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
According to Monorath, the Bureau Mensenrechten therefore regularly had to search for information itself on developments and measures that had already been implemented in Suriname. As a result, important government achievements risked being left out of the international report.
The minister mentioned, among other things, recent legislative developments and measures in the fields of public health and human rights. Some of these could no longer be included in the original report because the submission deadline had already passed.
Monorath believes Suriname must pay more attention to collecting, analysing and sharing data in a timely manner. Particularly in international assessments, reliable and up-to-date data are necessary, according to him, to make the country’s actual progress visible.
Land rights remain a major bottleneck
One of the main topics during the UN review was the recognition of the collective land rights of Indigenous and Tribal peoples.
Monorath acknowledged that Suriname still has significant obligations to fulfil in this area. He referred to international court rulings, including the Kaliña and Lokono judgment and the Saramaka judgment.
The minister stressed that recognising collective rights is not solely a matter of adopting legislation. According to him, the communities concerned must also be consulted, public support must be created, and the agreements must be genuinely feasible.
During the interview, Monorath was confronted with continuing dissatisfaction among Indigenous communities. Reference was made to the peaceful protest in the village of Cabenda, where representatives of several villages once again called for attention to the recognition of their rights and the implementation of international judgments.
The minister acknowledged that much work still needs to be done, but stressed that the government has placed the issue on its agenda. According to him, the international report should not only describe results achieved, but also clearly indicate which obligations remain outstanding.
Independent human rights institution still not established
The absence of an independent national human rights institution was also explicitly raised during the review.
Monorath explained that the existing Bureau Mensenrechten is part of the government and is mainly tasked with preparing and coordinating international reports. A national human rights institution, on the other hand, must be able to independently investigate and assess the extent to which the State fulfils its human rights obligations.
According to the minister, work is currently under way on the legislative preparations. The government aims to have the institution operational in 2027.
India offers support
During the interview, Monorath announced that India has offered to support Suriname in establishing the independent human rights institution.
According to the minister, he was approached by representatives of India during his stay in Geneva to discuss the matter further.
In addition, talks are taking place with representatives of other countries, including the Netherlands. The minister therefore sees the UN meeting not only as a moment of assessment, but also as an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation.
Adopting laws is not enough
A recurring topic in the conversation was the extent to which Suriname actually implements international obligations.
Monorath acknowledged that adopting laws and making commitments do not automatically mean that human rights are sufficiently protected. Enforcement and actual implementation in particular pose a major challenge, according to him.
He referred, among other things, to legislation against domestic violence, sexual harassment in the workplace, measures to protect children and the abolition of the death penalty.
The minister pointed out that on October 20, four Hague conventions in the field of international child protection and family law were approved by De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament). These developments could no longer be fully included in the previously submitted report.
Suriname must also still complete international formalities related to the final formalisation of the abolition of the death penalty within the international treaty framework.
According to Monorath, in the next UPR cycle Suriname should above all be able to account for the concrete results of the measures that have now been taken.
Recommendations from 68 countries
On Monday, November 2, Suriname was the first of fourteen countries to be reviewed during the 53rd UPR session.
According to Monorath, 68 countries made recommendations. These addressed, among other things, children’s rights, the position of vulnerable groups, land rights, education, healthcare and the establishment of independent human rights institutions.
During the discussion, the minister was also asked about the credibility of the review process, as some countries making recommendations themselves face serious human rights problems.
Monorath stressed that the UPR is primarily intended to assess countries on their international obligations and recommendations to which they have committed themselves. According to him, comments from other countries should therefore be taken seriously, regardless of their own situation.
Human rights and migration policy
Suriname’s migration policy was also discussed. Reference was made to comments by Haiti during the review and the recent deportation of a group of Mennonites from Suriname.
Monorath indicated that he did not believe Haiti’s questions specifically related to the Mennonite issue.
He did stress that the application of laws and regulations to foreigners must take place in a humane and fair manner. He referred to the principle of equality before the law.
The minister stated that the government must enforce the law, but that this must not mean losing sight of human dignity.
Report on November 13
Suriname’s review is facilitated by three countries: Bolivia, Mauritius and Cyprus. This so-called troika performs a reporting and facilitating role within the UPR procedure.
According to the official UN programme, the adoption of the report containing recommendations is scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026.
Monorath says he is satisfied with the course of the review. He stressed that, despite its limited resources and relatively small population, Suriname has made progress, in his view.
At the same time, the minister acknowledges that many improvements still need to be realised.
Better cooperation between ministries, reliable data collection and actual enforcement of human rights legislation must in particular ensure that Suriname can present more concrete results at a future international review.
