BRIEF REMARKS BY THE MINSTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

OF THE REPUBLIC OF SURINAME

ON "A MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO HEMISPHERIC SECURITY"

DURING THE PRIVATE DIALOGUE OF HEADS OF DELEGATION

IN THE MARGINS OF THE 32ND REGULAR SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF

THE ORGANISATION OF AMERICAN STATES

Madam chair,

Thank you for this opportunity to briefly discuss this issue with you.

In contemporary international relations Hemispheric Security encompasses much more than the traditional security issues. Whereas our Hemisphere was mainly plagued by drug trafficking in the past, with the advance of globalisation the crimes that now affect our region have developed into what we now know as Transnational Organised Crime. The main problem with Transnational Organised Crime is that it is spread over many borders and controlled by international crime syndicates with networks spread throughout the world. This means that for us to fight this form of crime, we should develop closer work relations with those countries and regions affected by this phenomenon.

Many of our countries are increasingly being used as transit countries for the trafficking of drugs, human beings, and small arms and weapons. The OAS specialised agencies have therefore had to expand their scope to work on more than just those crimes they were originally mandated to deal with. The CICAD for example now deals with all serious crimes, rather than just drugs and drug related crimes. It is crucial for us to use these forums to regularly share our experiences and develop regional and national strategies to fight this complicated form of crime.

We should look at what drives people to commit grave criminal acts, in order for us to be able to put a halt to it. It is important to focus on both regional and national approaches to Hemispheric Security. Internationally, we would have to agree on stringent legislation in order to punish criminals who commit crimes that are categorised as Transnational Organised Crime. The transnational element of these activities makes it more difficult to convict such criminals, especially because of extradition laws that in some cases prevent their extradition.

One of the main obstacles in effectively dealing with these problems is the lack of financial and human resources. Developing countries therefore need more assistance from the more developed countries in the region.

In closing, I would like to emphasise that in order to effectively work towards Hemispheric Security, we also need to address the social, financial, environmental, development and economic issues in our countries.

Thank you!