Children in Suriname are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. (1) Children also perform dangerous tasks in mining. (1-3) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Suriname. Data on some of these indicators are not available from the sources used in this report.

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2019, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022. (4)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS 6), 2018. (5)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.

† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Children are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, including in informal mining camps in Suriname's remote interior. (2,3,10,11) Throughout the coastal areas of Suriname, children work in agriculture, and in the capital of Paramaribo, they primarily engage in street vending. In addition, children, mostly boys, work carrying heavy loads in small-scale gold mines in the southeast region of the country, where they risk exposure to mercury and cyanide. (2,9-11) Children have also been reported to be working in small-scale construction and wood processing companies outside Paramaribo. (2,9) Migrant populations, especially those residing in the country illegally, are particularly vulnerable to both sex and labor trafficking, due to challenges associated with their precarious legal status. (12) Moreover, economic downturn has led to businesses closures and job losses, making children more vulnerable to trafficking as children are increasingly seeking work in order to support their families. (12)

Although Suriname’s net attendance percentage for primary school is high, it drops significantly for secondary school. Research indicates that there are disparities in education completion rates based on geographic and socioeconomic status, and that secondary school completion rates in the interior are as low as 15 percent. (13) Children from low-income households, particularly in the interior, face difficulties accessing education due to long distances to schools, transportation costs, and school fees. (1,7,14) Research also indicates that some LGBTQI+ students are bullied in schools. (15) In addition, children are sometimes forced to engage in commercial sexual exploitation in order to pay for educational expenses or to support their families. (16) Although children who are not citizens of Suriname can access free public education if they provide a birth certificate and vaccination records, there is limited reporting of instances in which children were denied access to education due to incomplete paperwork or their citizenship and residency status. These cases were reported among the Guyanese population in Suriname’s western border district, Nickerie, and the Brazilian population in Paramaribo. (7,17,18) Research suggests that families residing illegally in the country have also kept their children out of school to avoid being reported to authorities. (7)

The COVID‐19 pandemic made access to education more complicated for low‐income families, and costs of distance learning proved too expensive in the interior and for low-income families, particularly single-income households with multiple children. Schools in the interior did not engage in distance learning and did not develop adequate plans to ensure students caught up on materials and classes missed due to the pandemic. (7) These schools also faced additional closures due to teacher shortages. (7)

Suriname has ratified most key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).

The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Suriname’s legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the prohibition of forced labor.

* Country has no conscription (25) 

The Constitution guarantees free public education for all citizens, and the September 2014 amendment to the Citizenship and Residency Law reaffirmed citizenship to children born in Suriname of foreign-born parents who would otherwise be stateless are nationals of Suriname. (21,26) Article 20 of the Law on Basic Education requires children to attend school until they are at least age 12. (24) This leaves children ages 12 to 16 particularly vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor because they are no longer required to attend school, but are not yet legally permitted to work. For instance, while 96 percent of working children at the age of 14 are in school, at the age of 15 school attendance drops to 64 percent, and at age 16, it falls to 28 percent. (13)

In December 2021, the Government of Suriname announced that an independent human rights consultant would evaluate Suriname’s implementation of the UN’s International Convention on the Rights of Children, which is an important step toward identifying a path forward in the implementation of the Convention. (7)

Suriname does not sufficiently prohibit commercial sexual exploitation of children because the use of a child under 16 for prostitution is not criminally prohibited. In addition, while the Penal Code establishes penalties for the production and trafficking of drugs, it does not appear to specifically prohibit the use, procuring, and offering of a child in the production and trafficking of drugs. (22)

The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2021, labor law enforcement agencies in Suriname took actions to address child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Ministry of Labor, Employment Opportunity and Youth Affairs (MOL) that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including lack of targeted inspections in risk-prone sectors.

The Labor Inspectorate was placed at the head of a COVID‐19 Cluster Team, a multi-organizational team with representatives from the Ministries of Labor, Health, Justice and Police, Regional Development and Sport, and Defense. Each representative was charged with inspecting a different aspect of pandemic protocols. (7) This effort provided the Labor Inspectorate with the opportunity to expand general inspections for labor law violations, and the high number of inspections for 2021 was largely accomplished through these COVID‐19 Cluster Team inspections. (7)

Of the labor inspectors hired in 2020, 6 inspectors completed their basic training and were promoted to junior inspectors in 2021, while 11 inspectors are still in the process of completing basic training. Of the 50 labor inspectors, 25 have received special social inspection training, which includes additional focus on child labor issues. (7) The MOL noted that there is an insufficient number of labor inspectors to ensure the enforcement of labor laws in the informal sector, particularly in mining and agricultural areas, fisheries, and the country’s interior. (11) However, all labor inspectors are trained and authorized to enforce child labor laws. (2,9,10) The Decree on Labor Inspection passed in 2017 gave the Labor Inspectorate more tools to adequately perform its functions and updated the legislation for a more developed labor market and new sectors. (7)

Although the MOL does not provide disaggregated funding information, the Labor Inspectorate reported that its funding is insufficient to adequately cover all sectors in the country, including the formal and informal sectors. In addition, high-risk sectors are not specifically targeted because labor inspectors mainly conduct routine inspections in the formal sectors, which have lower incidences of child labor. (2,7,10) High-risk sectors include the agricultural sector in the coastal area, and manufacturing companies and small construction enterprises on the outskirts of Paramaribo. Research indicates that child labor inspections are mostly conducted when cases are reported. (7) No inspections were reported in the artisanal gold mining sector in the interior of the country. (7) During the reporting period, inspections in and around Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport discovered young people from nearby villages who were between the ages of 10 and 15 on the airport grounds offering to carry luggage for passengers. This issue was discussed during the meeting of the Council of Ministers, but research did not discover what, if any, measures were taken. (7)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2021, criminal law enforcement agencies in Suriname took actions to address child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of the criminal enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including lack of initial training for new criminal investigators.

Suriname's referral system, managed by the Bureau for the Rights of the Child of the Ministry of Social Affairs, was developed in collaboration with UNICEF in 2019 and is still in a pilot phase. (2) Reports from the referral mechanism are first filed with the police, who then pass on the complaint to the Labor Inspectorate or the Youth Affairs Police. During the reporting period, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced a full review of the referral mechanism with the assistance of UNICEF, as the mechanism is not sufficient to provide long-term solutions to child labor issues that are reported to it. (7)

In 2021, there were two investigations involving commercial sexual exploitation of minor girls. The first case resulted in the arrest of 11 suspects, including 3 police officers, on various charges including human trafficking and sexual abuse of a minor. (7) The second case did not result in any charges and was referred to the Youth Affairs Police. The TIP Unit reported in 2021 that it removed three minor girls from situations of exploitation, two of whom were victims of sex trafficking, and referred them to counseling and other services. (7) One of the three girls was returned to her parents. (7)

The number of investigators is insufficient to respond to human trafficking cases, and, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, investigations are initiated primarily as a result of complaints filed and are limited by a lack of resources, especially for travel to the interior of the country. (11,30,31) Resource constraints were made worse by the pandemic. (2) Suriname has a mechanism for the referral of victims for social services. In addition, the Bureau for Victim Services within the Ministry of Justice and Police provides counseling, the Bureau for Legal Services can provide a victim with legal assistance, and other services are arranged by the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Unit of the Suriname Police Force. (7)

The TIP Unit has 11 staff members who investigate human trafficking and human smuggling cases for the country. Initial investigations of trafficking are usually conducted by police who do not receive human trafficking training as part of their basic training. (7) Moreover, research finds that the government did not effectively identify trafficking in persons victims among children, migrants in the interior, and in brothels operating within private homes. (3) During the reporting period, the TIP Unit was appointed a new head and a strategic plan was drafted for the unit. This included descriptions of the functions and roles of staff in the unit and an analysis that identified barriers to optimal functioning of the department. (12) Lack of funding and resources were identified as the greatest problems facing the unit. The strategic plan further identified the training needs of the unit. (12)

The government has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 8).

The government has established policies that are consistent with relevant international standards on child labor (Table 9).

† Policy was approved during the reporting period.

In 2021, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including a lack of services for child victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

† Program is funded by the Government of Suriname.

The government continues to support initiatives to eradicate child labor, but existing social programs are inadequate to fully address the problem. (11) In particular, Suriname lacks programs to assist child victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. (38)

Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Suriname (Table 11).

1. ILO Committee of Experts. Direct Request concerning Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)- Suriname (ratification: 2006). Published: 2021.
   https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:4041696:NO
2. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. January 25, 2021.
3. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2021: Suriname. Washington, D.C., June 2021.
   https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/suriname/
4. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 2022. For more information, please see "Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.
   http://data.uis.unesco.org/
5. ILO. Analysis of Child Economic Activity and School Attendance Statistics from National Household or Child Labor Surveys. Original data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS 6), 2018. Analysis received March 2022. Please see "Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.
6. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2020: Suriname. Washington, D.C., June 16, 2020.
   https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-trafficking-in-persons-report/suriname/
7. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. January 14, 2022.
8. ILO. Suriname Child Labour Survey 2017. ILO, Research Institute for Social Sciences. November 2018. Source on file.
9. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. January 15, 2020.
10. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. January 18, 2019.
11. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. January 10, 2018.
12. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. February 4, 2022.
13. UNICEF. Suriname Education Fact Sheets: 2019.
    https://www.unicef.org/guyanasuriname/reports/mics-eagle
14. Kambel, Ellen-Rose. Rurality and Education in Suriname: Education and Inclusion of Remote Populations in Suriname. UNESCO. 2020.
    https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374773
15. Manohar, Maya. Violence Against Children: Sub-Study National Response Policies and Legislation. UNICEF. 2017.
    https://www.unicef.org/guyanasuriname/media/671/file/Violence-against-children-in-Suriname-ExcSummary.pdf.
16. U.S. Department of State 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Suriname. Washington, D.C., April 12, 2022.
    https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/suriname/
17. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. March 22, 2022.
18. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. June 4, 2021.
19. Government of Suriname. Children and Young Persons Labor Act. Enacted: July 23, 2018. Source on file.
20. Government of Suriname. Decree on Hazardous Labor for Youth. Enacted: 2010. Source on file.
21. Government of Suriname. 1987 Constitution with Reforms of 1992. Enacted: 1992. Source on file.
22. Government of Suriname. Penal Code. Enacted: October 14, 1910, and Amended: March 30, 2015.
    https://www.dna.sr/media/138146/S.B._2015_no._44_wet_van_30_mrt_15_wijz._wetboek_van_strafrecht.pdfhttps://www.dna.sr/media/138146/S.B._2015_no._44_wet_van_30_mrt_15_wijz._wetboek_van_strafrecht.pdf
23. Government of Suriname. Conscription Act. Enacted: 1970. Source on File.
24. Government of Suriname. Basic Education Law. Enacted: September 22, 1960. Source on file.
25. CIA. World Factbook - Suriname March 8, 2022.
    https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/suriname/#military-and-security
26. Government of Suriname. Nationality and Residence (Amendment) Law, 2014. July 2014.
    https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=96934&p_count=5&p_classification=01
27. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. February 13, 2020.
28. Government of Suriname. Labour Act. Enacted: 1963.
    http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/83483/114796/F-959075778/SUR83483 Dut 2001.pdf
29. Government of Suriname. Labour Inspection Decree. Enacted: 1983. Source on file.
30. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo. Reporting. January 12, 2017.
31. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. April 17, 2017.
32. Government of Suriname. National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Response of Trafficking in Persons. Interdepartmental Working Group Trafficking in Persons. January 2019. Source on file.
33. ILO. Suriname Decent Work Country Programme 2019–2021. November 5, 2019.
    https://www.ilo.org/caribbean/information-resources/publications/WCMS_727269/lang--en/index.htm
34. U.S. Embassy- Paramaribo official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. March 16, 2022. Source on file.
35. Inter-American Development Bank. SU-L1038: Second Basic Education Improvement Program (2nd BEIP) Phase II. Accessed March 22, 2022.
    https://web.archive.org/web/20201031020858/https://www.iadb.org/en/project/SU-L1038
36. ILO. ILO and Brazil seal new project to support the Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean free of Child Labour. February 1, 2021.
    https://www.ilo.org/global/docs/WCMS_768765/lang--en/index.htm
37. Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labor. Adolescents and youth in Latin America and the Caribbean say No to child labor. June 17, 2021.
    https://www.iniciativa2025alc.org/en/noticias/adolescentes-y-jovenes-de-america-latina-y-el-caribe-dicen-no-al-trabajo-infantil
38. ILO Committee of Experts. Direct Request concerning Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)- Suriname (ratification: 2006). Published: 2017.
    http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:3289947:YES