A Comprehensive Overview of History, Energy, and Governance

Date: Wednesday 2 April | Location: Online Webinar | Time: 14:00 – 15:30 (UTC+1)

Suriname stands at a critical juncture, shaped by its rich history, evolving political landscape, and the rapid development of its energy sector. This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of Suriname’s historical background, political system, and the upcoming general elections on 25 May 2025. It will also explore its promising oil and gas prospects and its Green Development Strategy, which aims to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. By examining key political players, electoral dynamics, and energy developments, we will offer expert analysis of Suriname’s future trajectory and the potential impact of its political and economic decisions on national and regional stability.

The webinar will cover:

• A Brief History of Suriname
• The Outlook for Oil & Gas
• Green Development Strategy
• The Political Process & Key Players
• Elections – 25 May 2025
• The Election of the President

Speakers

Willem Bloem, Principal, Bloem Consultants N.V., Suriname
Willem has enjoyed a 33-year career in the international Oil & Gas industry in technical, commercial and leadership roles at Shell, Petrofac, Lundin, SLB, and finally Apache - as its Suriname country manager - and has worked and lived across Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Americas. His consultancy services include: Local content and oil field service alliances; natural gas development; clean energy; and supporting operating and non-operating IOCs in upstream country entry and growth.

George Aalstein, General Manager, Commodity Marketing Ltd, Suriname
Founded in 1966, Commodity Marketing & Design specializes in trading wine, textiles, sugar, rice, rum, and other consumer goods, with strong trade ties across Europe, Asia, the U.S., and the Caribbean. Beyond trade, it provides social media marketing and design services, including targeted advertising, branding, logo creation, packaging, and promotional design. By combining creativity with strategy, it helps businesses enhance their online presence and brand identity. Originally based in Trinidad & Tobago, the company now operates from its headquarters in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Harmen Boerboom - Suriname-based journalist, analyst, and consultant
Harmen, who was born in The Netherlands and moved to Suriname at the age of four, trained and worked as a radio journalist in the Netherlands. He then returned to Suriname where he has spent over 15 years as the in-country correspondent for both Radio Netherlands Worldwide and Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS). He has also been a freelance analyst and consultant for many years.

Iwan Brave, who was born in Suriname but brought up in the Netherlands, is a leading local journalist. In 1996, he returned to Suriname and wrote columns for the De Volkskrant newspaper which were later compiled into 'Enkele reis Paramaribo: Terug in Suriname' (One-Way Ticket to Paramaribo: Back in Suriname). He served as editor-in-chief of both the Surinamese monthly magazine Parbode and the de Ware Tijd daily newspaper, and was a radio presenter for ABC Actueel. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the Jeugdjournaal in Suriname.