Guyana and United Nations Sign Biodiversity Declaration Under Global Alliance

Guyana’s government and the United Nations have put their names to a Declaration of Intent designed to broaden joint work on protecting biodiversity, building climate resilience and pursuing sustainable development. The move marks another phase in widening the UN-supported Global Biodiversity Alliance.

Hon. Gail Teixeira, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, and Jean Kamau of the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office signed the document on 18 May 2026 at a ceremony held at the Office of the President.

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali presided over the event. He told those gathered that the arrangement mirrors Guyana’s enduring pledge to safeguard its forests, biodiversity and wider natural assets while still pushing forward with sustainable development.

Ali also noted that bringing the United Nations into the Global Biodiversity Alliance, which Guyana chairs, shows that more countries and institutions now treat biodiversity protection as a core element of worldwide development policy.

Speakers at the ceremony said the programme should tighten links between Guyana and UN bodies as biodiversity is woven into national planning and investment decisions, in line with the state’s low-carbon development strategy.

Kamau said the United Nations was “pleased to join this important initiative,” and pointed out that it fits the global Sustainable Development Goals while backing South-South cooperation on environmental protection.

The Declaration likewise underlines the place of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation, including their stewardship of biodiversity and sharing of traditional knowledge.

Authorities expect the arrangement to sharpen coordination and the exchange of data on biodiversity work among UN agencies active in the region. It should also help carry out the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Guyana has steadily cast itself as a front-runner in regional climate and biodiversity diplomacy, advancing what officials call a development path that pairs economic progress with environmental safeguards.

The pact is slated to reinforce cooperation through the UN Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and to widen technical and policy engagement in coming years.