Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962 (No. 118) - Suriname (Ratification: 1976)

With reference to its previous observations which it has been making for many years, the Committee notes the Government’s statement from its latest report that some of the principles set out in the Convention are not fully applied, which is due to the absence of a national social security scheme. Concerning, in particular, branch (g) (employment injury benefit), in respect of which the obligations of this Convention have been accepted, the Committee notes that, according to the report, all the benefits which are granted to nationals and non-nationals are subjected to the condition of residence, contrary to Article 4 of the Convention; there is no payment of benefits abroad and no bilateral or multilateral agreements exist to give effect to Article 5 of the Convention; and none of the social security benefits are applicable to refugees and stateless persons, contrary to Article 10 of the Convention. The Government states, however, that the possibility to bring the legislation in full conformity with the Convention is being considered.

The Committee recalls that since the ratification of this Convention by Suriname in 1976, it has been drawing the Government’s attention to the fact that there is no provision in the legislation guaranteeing the payment of the employment injury pension abroad, particularly after the expiry of the three-year period during which, under section 6(8) of Decree No. 145 of 1947, as amended, the pension could be converted into a lump sum if the beneficiary transfers his residence abroad. It further recalls that these issues were the subject of the technical assistance projects in the social security field provided for Suriname during the 1990s by the ILO and UNDP with a view to instituting a national social security scheme and revising the labour legislation. In this situation and taking into account that, notwithstanding the repeated promises of the Government and the technical assistance supplied to it, no progress has been made in the application of the Convention, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take all necessary measures in the very near future to bring its national law and practice into full conformity with the abovementioned provisions of the Convention.