The United Nations has formally joined the Guyana-led Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA), further expanding an international coalition spearheaded by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali to strengthen global action on biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and sustainable development.
The partnership was formalised on Monday through the signing of a Declaration of Intent between the Government of Guyana and the United Nations in Guyana at the Office of the President.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira and United Nations Resident Coordinator Jean Kamau signed the agreement during a ceremony attended by senior government officials and representatives of various UN agencies operating in Guyana.
The Global Biodiversity Alliance was officially launched in Georgetown in July 2025 as a Guyana-led initiative aimed at building an international coalition to advance the protection, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity while promoting low-carbon development and climate resilience.
The alliance also seeks to mobilise financing, scientific cooperation, biodiversity monitoring systems and policy coordination among governments, multilateral organisations, Indigenous communities, academia, civil society and the private sector.
At the close of the alliance’s inaugural summit in 2025, 14 countries had joined as founding members and adopted a concrete action plan, according to statements by President Ali earlier this year.
Since then, several major international partners have formally joined the initiative, including the United Kingdom and the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).
President Ali said the United Nations’ participation represents a significant endorsement of the alliance and Guyana’s approach to balancing environmental stewardship with economic growth.
“The signing by the United Nations onto the Global Biodiversity Alliance, led by Guyana, is a powerful affirmation that biodiversity protection and the sustainable management of natural resources must remain central to global development,” the president said.
Kamau said the United Nations was pleased to join the initiative because it closely aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthens South-South cooperation among developing nations.
The declaration reaffirms commitments by both Guyana and the United Nations to integrate biodiversity considerations into national development planning and sustainable investment frameworks, while emphasising the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in conservation efforts.
Officials said the partnership is expected to strengthen data-sharing, scientific collaboration and biodiversity action under the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
