UN General Assembly
2021

Climate change remains a serious challenge and an existential threat that requires the attention of us all. In recent months, we have witnessed its worldwide impact in the form of deadly floods, widespread forest fires and significantly increasing global temperatures. No country or region has been spared its wrath. In the case of my country, Suriname, and other countries with low-lying coastal areas, we are committed to fighting climate change because we are particularly vulnerable, even though we have contributed the least to the problem. Suriname is a high-forest low-deforestation country, with forest coverage of approximately 93 per cent. Suriname significantly contributes to the mitigation of the effects of climate change. We are one of the few countries rated carbon-negative in the world. Yet we are not fully benefiting from global arrangements associated with sound forest management. The time has come to acknowledge the unique challenges faced by high-forest low-deforestation developing countries and to improve and maximize their fair access to climate finance.