E-221-01                        October 31, 2001 SURINAME'S NEW ENVOY CHALLENGES OAS ON POVERTY-ERADICATION   Ambassador Henry L. Illes, Suriname's new Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States, has challenged the hemispheric body to put more focus on helping member countries effectively tackle extreme poverty.  He warned that "democracy will never flourish and will not survive if large parts of our societies still live in extreme poverty."  In his first address before the OAS Permanent Council, today, the Surinamese envoy said the Organization has a duty "not to allow those who will come after us to question or to doubt our courage to address and tackle such a critical issue."  Quoting the late reggae superstar Bob Marley's song, "A hungry man is an angry man," the Ambassador stressed the need to eliminate hunger, "and in doing so, to suppress antecedents of anger."  He went on to note that while representative democracy is needed, the people also need preventive healthcare, education and eradication of illiteracy, HIV/AIDS and the illicit drugs scourge.  "These issues clearly need to become priorities to the OAS."   He added: "We cannot continue to concentrate solely on democracy and classical human rights and at the same time ignore the serious weakness in the social structure."  Instead, he called on the premier hemispheric political forum to "seriously start to discuss issues like poor nutrition, poor healthcare, poor wealth distribution, corruption, land rights, women's rights, racism and injustice."  The diplomat, who presented credentials at OAS Headquarters last week, outlined as well the Suriname government’s determination "to bring Suriname and its people back on the path of prosperity, growth and development."  He also commended the OAS' moves to streamline operations to more efficiently and effectively address the member countries' needs.  The Permanent Council had met in special session today to consider how member states, especially those with vulnerable and smaller economies, have been affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.  Dominica's Ambassador Swinburne Lestrade led the meeting—as Permanent Council Chairman—and welcomed the newest member state ambassador to the OAS' second highest decision-making body.   **********