Guyana’s growing international influence on environmental issues is helping drive a global initiative to place a measurable economic value on biodiversity and mobilise investment for its protection, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has said.
In an interview on Tuesday, President Ali credited Guyana’s environmental leadership and sustained international engagement for the growing support behind the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA).
Guyana will host more than 140 representatives from governments, communities and organisations at the second Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit and Financing Forum on October 30 and 31 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Georgetown.
The two-day conference, held under the theme “Investing in Nature: From Global Commitments to Practical Action,” will focus on developing financial mechanisms that recognise the value of biodiversity while allowing countries to advance their economic and development priorities.
President Ali said Guyana’s work through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and its leadership on tropical forests have helped establish the credibility needed to build international support for the alliance.
“When we started by announcing this at the United Nations, I think people were sceptical about whether this can be done. We have demonstrated that not only it can be done, but it can be done at a global scale, bringing in every stakeholder,” he said.
That inclusive approach has helped broaden the alliance beyond traditional conservation circles, drawing participation from scientists, academics, research institutions, governments and industries whose activities intersect with biodiversity.
The next step, the president explained, is to translate that international support into a viable financial framework capable of generating sustained investment in the protection of natural assets.
“This has to be respected as a product, just like any natural resource,” President Ali said, underscoring the need for a market-based model that balances conservation with economic growth.
The head of state noted that the initiative has attracted support from across the United Nations system, the United Kingdom, countries in Africa and research institutions in the Caribbean and Latin America. India is also expected to join the alliance, further extending its international reach.
He expressed optimism that the discussions would help shape a framework capable of informing global efforts to finance biodiversity protection, moving the initiative beyond commitments towards practical implementation.
The visit of His Majesty King Charles III is expected to complement this environmental focus.
The King has long championed climate action and biodiversity conservation and is a patron of the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development. [DPI]
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