By Ariana Gordon

GUYANA and Suriname are to increase collaboration with the aim of tackling cross-border issues says Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Police, Dr Jennifer Van Dijk-Silos.Speaking with reporters on Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel, the Surinamese minister said both countries have resources that can be beneficial to all stakeholders. She said cooperating in an economic way will see the two countries tackling issues that are unique to them.

Both countries, Dr Van Dijk-Silos, who is currently in Guyana for The Hague Convention Conference being held at the Pegasus Hotel, said will develop a concept that can allow for development. “We will be the Dubai of South America,” she said positively.

She said as sister CARICOM countries, the duo can strengthen collaboration with law enforcement entities to tackle cross border crimes.

“Regarding the free movement of people and goods from Suriname and Guyana, it is necessary that we have to cooperate closely as countries…” she said, noting that she will be meeting with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.

The Surinamese Minister noted that there can be lots of success in solving crimes in both countries as she reminded that there is a significant movement of people and goods across the borders. With the movement of goods the Minister said are rogue elements.

“We will have a lot of success in solving some criminal deeds that are cross bordering criminality… we have to look at the back-track, also how will we formalise that… I have to reach a very active cooperation again among the police force, fire department, legal affairs…” she stated.

Guyana and Suriname have for years been discussing the regularisation of the back-track route. The back track route is used by many to enter the two countries.
In 2010, government had declined a proposal by Suriname’s then Justice Minister Chandrikapersad Santokhi to regulate back-track travel between Guyana and Suriname. Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister at the time Clement Rohee had said Guyana’s position was as a result of “national interest” concerns.

Dr Van Dijk-Silos was quick to state that while she serves as Minister of Justice and Police for Suriname it does not mean that the level of cooperation between Guyana and Suriname will be limited to that area. She said that through collaboration there can be exchanges at the level of the Universities (University of Guyana and University of Suriname).

“It is important for the University of Suriname to have close collaboration with the University of Guyana. We have a lot of benefits and I have decided to motivate them to talk with the University of Guyana to go into cooperation again,” she said.

In the past, the two universities collaborated and were part of exchange programmes said the Minister of Justice and Police.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice and Police wants to see a Caribbean Centre of Children’s Rights established. She said the Rights of the Child must be taken seriously and as such steps must be taken to protect children.

She is of the opinion that the rights of children across the Caribbean Bloc are being neglected and more needs to be done to change that.

“If you realise that children are the future population of a country, it makes it necessary to develop a sustainable policy on how to protect your children, how you raise them, how you implement their rights,” Minister Van Dijk-Silos said.

She explained that though Suriname is party to The Hague Convention on Children’s Rights, it has been unable to establish a Children’s Rights Centre with executive authority but noted that by 2018 a policy would be implemented in Suriname to ensure that authority is established.