On Wednesday, December 1, Global Americans and the Caribbean Policy Consortium, with support from the U.S. Embassy in Suriname, hosted a virtual panel on social and economic development in the Caribbean.

Suriname, a country of roughly 600,000 people in northeast South America, is part of the Guyana-Suriname Basin—often called the “Holy Grail” of oil and gas. Major oil and gas discoveries within the last six years revealed at least 13 billion barrels

The world faces an unprecedented environmental crisis, with effective waste management emerging as one of the most pressing global challenges. Within this context, Panama and Suriname, both members of the carbon-zero alliance, share challenges and opportunities for sustainable waste management. Both countries are committed to carbon-zero goals, yet they face rising pressures from industrial activities, notably Suriname’s expanding oil sector and unregulated informal mining, which threaten environmental stability.

On May 25, President Chan Santokhi and his Progressive Reform Party (VHP) won the Suriname parliamentary elections, ending the ten-year rule of President Dési Bouterse and his National Democratic Party (NDP).

The Caribbean has too often been relegated to the back seat of most Western Hemisphere policy discussions. With the exception of Cuba, the countries of the region have rarely emerged atop United States foreign policy priority lists. From climate change to blue economy issues to food security and increased digital connectivity, the Caribbean, with all of the challenges it faces, is also home to extraordinary opportunity and possibility