Ambassador Niermala Badrising served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Suriname since August 12, 2015. She was honorably discharged on 31 January 2017. During her tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs she participated in numerous international and regional Meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and represented the Head of State in various Summits. Her focus was to place her country more visibly on the political, diplomatic, and geo-strategic map of the world. 

Prior to her designation as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Suriname, Niermala Badrising, served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Suriname to the Organization of American States (OAS). She was appointed in November 2011 and assumed her duties at the OAS in January 2012. She also represented her Government at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank. 

In her capacity as Permanent Representative of Suriname to the OAS, she served as the Chair of the Permanent Council in the first quarter of 2015 and assumed a dual leadership role, also serving as Chair of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, beginning in January 2015.  Ambassador Badrising served as Vice-Chair of the Permanent Council of the OAS from October to December 2014 and has also led the Caucus of Ambassadors of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), serving as Chairperson of the Caucus from January to June of 2012.  

Prior to her appointment as Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Ambassador Badrising worked at the Office of the President of the Republic of Suriname from 1998 to 2012, serving as Senior Advisor for International Affairs and Chief Coordinator for International Affairs for three consecutive Presidents. She has further also undertaken practical and professional duties in the area of environmental diplomacy, as well as democracy and democratic institution building in electoral organization and management. The latter duties were carried out when she served as the Assistant Coordinator for the organization of the national free and fair elections in Suriname in 2010. She has been extensively involved in matters related to international development policy and international human rights policy, and remains actively engaged in international relations and diplomacy. She has experience as a facilitator, negotiator and mediator, with practical and academic training and experience in conflict analysis, conflict resolution and mediation.   

Ambassador Badrising started her diplomatic career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Suriname. From 1989 to 1996 she served in various positions, including her last post as Head of the United Nations Section at the Department of International Organizations. She chaired several National Commissions and also served of a member of National Commissions. Throughout her career, she has represented her Government at numerous Summits, international and regional meetings and has traveled extensively in the course of her duties. 

In 2007, she received a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Her areas of specialization and expertise include International Negotiations, Conflict Resolution and International Political Systems. Prior to this, in 1987, she received a Master’s Degree in International Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, the Netherlands, where she also received two Post-Graduate Diplomas in Governance, Democratization and Public Policy and in International Law and Organizations for Development.

Ambassador Badrising has completed post-graduate studies in International Relations and International Security at the Institute for International Relations (“Clingendael Institute”) in The Hague, Netherlands. Additionally, she received post-graduate diplomas in International Development from the University of Oslo and in International Relations and Diplomacy from the diplomatic academy of Chile and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).  She has a Licentiate Degree in Law of the University of Suriname, with specializations in international labor law and international relations.

She has also completed various professional courses of study in international human rights, management, leadership and project management, and has received numerous academic honors and distinctions, in addition to several management awards. Ambassador Badrising was born on July 4th, 1962 in Paramaribo, Suriname, speaks four languages and has one son.

Contact Information

Embassy of Suriname
4201 Connecticut Avenue, NW #400
Washington DC 20008

Phone: (202) 244-7488
Fax: (202) 244-5878

Website: http://www.surinameembassy.org/