The Indigenous World 2026: Suriname

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in Suriname

The Indigenous Peoples of Suriname number approximately 20,344 people, or 3.8% of the total population of 541,638^[i] (census 2012). The four most numerous Indigenous Peoples are the Kaliña (Carib), Lokono (Arawak), Trio (Tirio, Tareno) and Wayana. In addition, there are small settlements of other Amazonian Indigenous Peoples, mostly in the south of Suriname, including the Akoerio, Warao, Apalai, Wai-Wai, Okomoyana, Mawayana, Katuena, Tunayana, Pireuyana, Sikiiyana, Alamayana, Maraso, Awayakule, Sirewu, Upuruy, Sarayana, Kasjoeyana, Murumuruyo, Kukuyana, Piyanakoto and Sakëta. The Kaliña and Lokono live mainly in the northern part of the country and are sometimes referred to as “lowland” Indigenous Peoples, whereas the Trio, Wayana and other Amazonian peoples live in the south and are referred to as “highland” peoples.

The legislative system of Suriname, based on colonial legislation, does not recognize Indigenous or tribal peoples, and Suriname has no legislation governing Indigenous and Tribal Peoples’ land or other rights, in spite of various judgments of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights calling for the country to develop and implement such legislation. This forms a major threat to the survival and well-being of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, particularly given the strong focus that is being placed on Suriname’s many natural resources (including oil, bauxite, gold, water, forests and biodiversity). Suriname is one of the few countries in South America that has not ratified ILO Convention 169. It did vote in favor of adopting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007.

This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Legislative developments

In line with the fear expressed by Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Suriname that the draft framework law^[1] of June 2021 on the Collective Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Peoples in Suriname would be watered down, after many comments during its discussion in the National Assembly (unicameral parliament) of Suriname, a government team headed by then Vice-President Ronnie Brunswijk did indeed submit a renewed version to Parliament in February 2025. The new draft was widely criticized as it did not provide any substantial legal security nor land rights for Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, including by the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (VIDS),^[2] Vereniging van Saamaka Gemeenschappen (VSG),^[3] the association “Fiti Makandra”,^[4] which includes various paramount chiefs of the Tribal Maroon peoples, the paramount chief of the Okanisi^[5] and the organization “A Marron KOMPAS”.^[6] Parliament did not reach a quorum on the day the revised draft law on collective rights was to be discussed (25 February 2025) and, in light of the intense protests, it was decided to postpone^[7] further debate on the draft law to an undefined date.

General elections were held in Suriname in May 2025 in which the Nationale Democratische Partij (NDP) obtained one seat more than the sitting Verenigde Hervormingspartij (VHP) and swiftly formed a coalition with five other political parties to obtain a two-thirds majority of seats in Parliament. In the Surinamese electoral system, the President and Vice-President are not elected directly by popular vote but by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly, thus forcing the formation of coalitions often consisting of four or more political parties. For the first time in Suriname's history, a female president was elected, namely Jennifer Simons (married name Geerlings), who was the Chair of the National Assembly for two terms (2010-2015 and 2015-2020) while her party leader, the late Desiré Bouterse, was President.

The six coalition parties quickly agreed on a joint “declaration of government”^[8] in June 2025, which outlines their political intentions for the next five years, and which includes, among other things, that “the land rights issue will be resolved”, noting in the same line, however, that a controversial law of 2017 would be legally enacted. That law, the “Law on the Protection of Indigenous and Tribal Residential and Living Areas”^[9] had been approved in Parliament but not signed into force by the then president Desiré Bouterse after protests from Indigenous and Tribal Peoples’ organizations. The law had not been effectively consulted before adoption and, while intended to “protect” Indigenous and Tribal territories from the issuing of extractive concessions and/or land titles, had various shortcomings, particularly the size of the exemption, which was only a radius of five kilometers (which would have the effect of turning the villages into small reserves outside of which any title could be given). Another article of the law explicitly forbids any other future land titles, which could also hinder the issuing of a collective land title.

VIDS, the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname, held a national “mini-conference” to discuss this and other urgent issues, and presented the resulting resolutions^[10] to President Simons who said she will respect^[11] the position of VIDS in opposing the enactment of the law. The Indigenous village leaders also impressed on the government and Parliament the need to follow principles of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), among others, in relation to another proposed law on protected areas,^[12] which may hinder rather than protect the collective land rights that have still not been recognized them under Surinamese legislation, in spite of repeated judgments^[13] from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights obliging Suriname to do so. The existing law on protected areas dates back to 1954,^[14] and conservation actors have long been pushing for revision, most recently in relation to a 20-million-dollar commitment of a consortium of conservation NGOs. A new draft law^[15] has been developed but not yet discussed. It is common knowledge that the tensions between forest and nature conservation, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples’ rights and Suriname’s dependence on its natural resources, particularly gold and in the near future also oil and gas, are potentially conflicting areas for which an easy solution has not yet been found. President Jennifer Simons acknowledged this tension and the need to make “difficult choices”^[16] in her speech to the 80^th UN General Assembly on September 2025.

In the resolutions from the mini-conference, the village leaders also called (for the umpteenth time) for transparency in land titles and/or concessions in Indigenous territories, particularly ones that had allegedly been issued shortly before the elections of May 2025. Documents were published showing that the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management (GBB) had issued titles in the heart of several villages,^[17] as well as thousands of hectares as agricultural land destined, apparently, for Mennonite settlers,^[18] in spite of strong protests from Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and many civil society and environmental organizations as well. The new Minister of GBB, Stanley Soeropawiro, promised to investigate the alleged land titles; however, further information had not been provided at the time of writing this article.

Another noteworthy legislative proposal^[19] in 2025 was that of including the acknowledgment of Indigenous Peoples as the first inhabitants of Suriname in the preamble to the Constitution of Suriname. Although welcoming this as a first step, VIDS cautioned^[20] against rhetoric and called for explicit recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights in the Constitution and national legislation.

National Indigenous FPIC Protocol

VIDS finalized the National FPIC Protocol for all Indigenous Peoples and Communities and presented^[21] this formally to the President of Suriname, Jennifer Simons, the Chair of the National Assembly, Ashwin Adhin, and Minister Stanley Soeropawiro of the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management. Keynote speaker during this event, which was held in the ballroom of the National Assembly, was Jennifer Corpuz, member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The National FPIC Protocol is the result of regional consultations held by VIDS over a period of three years in all its geocultural regions and adopted by all regions in November 2024 as an overarching national protocol outlining the rules and processes required to obtain (or not) their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). The government and Parliament received the protocol with appreciation, stating^[22] that it will serve as a basis for future legislation.

Chinalco

After intense protests from VIDS^[23] and the Indigenous communities of West Suriname,^[24] supported by a broad coalition of civil society organizations, including the Association of Economists of Suriname (VES)^[25] and the Trade and Industry Association of Suriname (VSB),^[26] a draft law endorsing a draft large-scale mining agreement with the Chinese mining company Chinalco was “parked”^[27] by the National Assembly and the (previous) government in February 2025. However, in an announcement by Vice-President Gregory Rusland in November 2025, the new government made known that there would be renewed negotiations^[28] with Chinalco on mining in West Suriname.

Max Ooft is Policy Officer at the Bureau of the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname, VIDS).

This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] President of the Republic of Suriname. “Subject: Presentation of the Collective Rights of Indigenous and Tirbal Peoples Act.” 15 June 2021. https://dna.sr/media/322328/21_899__Pres._Sur.___Aanb._Wet_Collectieve_Rechten_Inheemse_en_Tribale_Volken.pdf Accessed 11 February 2024.

^[2] VIDS Facebook. “VIDS verwijst wijziging ontwerpwet Collective Rechten naar prullenbak.” 21 February 2025. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1042011504619076&id=100064307097244

^[3] Waterkant. “VSG: Nota van wijziging grondenrechten is grove schending van rechten Inheemsen en Tribale volkeren.” 24 February 2025. https://www.waterkant.net/suriname/2025/02/24/vsg-nota-van-wijziging-grondenrechten-is-grove-schending-van-rechten-inheemsen-en-tribale-volkeren/

^[4] Star Nieuws. “Overlegplatform Fiti Makandra over voortzetting koloniaal onrecht.” 26 February 2025. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/85184

^[5] Star Nieuws. “Gaanman Velantie: Okanisi-volk verwerpt respectloze wet grondenrechten.” 22 February 2025. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/85129

^[6] Star Nieuws. “Openbrief aan de regering en De Nationale Assemblee.” 23 February 2025. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/85142

^[7] Star Niuews. “Wet Grondenrechten aangehouden; regering treedt in overleg.” 25 February 2025. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/85170

^[8] Raoul Roeplal. “Analyse: het Regeerakkoord 2025–2030 samengevat.” Parbode, 5 July 2025. https://www.parbode.com/analyse-het-regeerakkoord-2025-2030-samengevat/

^[9] De Nationale Assemblée van de Republiek Suriname. “Wet Bescherming Woon- en Leefgebieden.” https://gov.sr/vids-overhandigt-conferentieresolutie-aan-president-simons/

^[10] VIDS. “Resoluties Achtste VIDS Conferentie.” 5 December 2024. https://vids.sr/resoluties-achtste-vids-conferentie/

^[11] Kabinet van de President, Republiek Suriname. “VIDS overhandigt conferentieresolutie aan president Simons.” https://gov.sr/vids-overhandigt-conferentieresolutie-aan-president-simons/

^[12] Key News. “VIDS dient resoluties in bij president Simons: vertrouwen in aanpak grondenrechten.” 5 September 2025. https://keynews.sr/vids-dient-resoluties-in-bij-president-simons-vertrouwen-in-aanpak-grondenrechten/

^[13] Inter-American Court of Human Rights. “Case of the Kaliña and Lokono Peoples v. Suriname.” 25 November 2015. https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_309_ing.pdf

^[14] Republiek Suriname. “WET van 3 April 1954, houdende voorzieningen tot bescherming en behoud van de in Suriname aanwezige natuurmonumenten (G.B. 1954 no. 26), gelijk zij luidt na de daarin aangebrachte wijzigingen bij G.B. 1954 no. 105, S.B. 1980 no. 116, S.B. 1992 no. 80.” 3 April 1954. https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/sur32835.pdf

^[15] De Nationale Assemblée van de Republiek Suriname. “Ontwerpwet Duurzaam Natuurbeheer.” https://www.dna.sr/wetgeving/ontwerpwetten-bij-dna/ingediende-wetten/ontwerpwet-duurzaam-natuurbeheer/

^[16] President of the Republic of Suriname. “Statement by Her Excellency Jennifer Geerlings-Simons President of the Republic of Suriname on the occasion of the General Debate of the 80^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.” New York, 23 September 2025. https://www.un.int/suriname/sites/www.un.int/files/Suriname/final_-_statement_80ste_avvn_-23_september_2025.pdf

^[17] VIDS Facebook. “Gronden Inheems Gebied Illegaal Uitgegeven!” 30 July 2025. https://www.facebook.com/VIDSSuriname/posts/-%F0%9D%97%9A%F0%9D%97%BF%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BB%F0%9D%97%B1%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%BB-%F0%9D%97%9C%F0%9D%97%BB%F0%9D%97%B5%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%BA%F0%9D%98%80-%F0%9D%97%9A%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%AF%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%B1-%F0%9D%97%9C%F0%9D%97%B9%F0%9D%97%B9%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%B4%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%B9-%F0%9D%97%A8%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%98%81%F0%9D%97%B4%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%B4%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%98%83%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%97%BB-de-dorpshoofden-van-powakka-en-phili/1179171410903084/

^[18] Sheryl Dayene Gallant. “Zorgen over mogelijke ontbossing van 110.000 hectare Surinaams bos.” GFC Nieuws, 24 January 2026. https://www.gfcnieuws.com/zorgen-over-mogelijke-ontbossing-van-110-000-hectare-surinaams-bos/

^[19] De Nationale Assemblée van de Republiek Suriname. “Ontwerpwet wijz. Grondwet Rep Suriname (S.B. 1987 no.116, zoals laatstelijk gewijz. bij S.B. 2023 no. 157).” https://www.dna.sr/wetgeving/ontwerpwetten-bij-dna/ingediende-wetten/ontwerpwet-wijz-grondwet-rep-suriname-s-b-1987-no-116-zoals-laatstelijk-gewijz-bij-s-b-2023-no-157/

^[20] Star Nieuws. “VIDS: erkenning in preambule Grondwet is slechts symbolisch en onvoldoende.” 29 January 2025. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/90375

^[21] Key News. “VIDS overhandigt nationaal FPIC-protocol aan president en DNA-voorzitter.” 15 October 2025. https://keynews.sr/vids-overhandigt-nationaal-fpic-protocol-aan-president-en-dna-voorzitter/

^[22] United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Suriname. “Indigenous Communities and the Government renew commitment through FPIC protocol.” 16 October 2025. https://www.undp.org/suriname/news/indigenous-communities-and-government-renew-commitment-through-fpic-protocol

^[23] Star Nieuws. “VIDS: Alle activiteiten West-Suriname meteen stopzetten.” 5 December 2024. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/84001

^[24] Star Nieuws. “Inheemse dorpen West-Suriname: MOU Chinalco moet on hold.” 11 December 2024. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/84093

^[25] Sheryl Dayene Gallant. “VES roept op tot opschorting van MoU met Chinalco.” GFC Nieuws, 24 December 2024. https://www.gfcnieuws.com/ves-roept-op-tot-opschorting-van-mou-met-chinalco/

^[26] De West. “VSB uit scherpe kritiek op mijnbouwovereenkomst met Chinalco.” 24 February 2025. https://dagbladdewest.com/2025/02/24/vsb-uit-scherpe-kritiek-op-mijnbouwovereenkomst-met-chinalco/

^[27] Key News. “Brunswijk: ‘Chinalco-deal van tafel’.” 26 February 2025. https://keynews.sr/brunswijk-chinalco-deal-van-tafel/

^[28] Star Nieuws. “Regering hervat onderhandelingen met Chinalco over bauxiet West-Suriname.” 4 November 2025. https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/89045

Tags: Land rights, Human rights