The design for the permanent headquarters of the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) Secretariat in Guyana has been completed.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made the announcement on Friday.
The head of state gave the update during his keynote address at the opening of the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Liliendaal.
He said the building was designed in collaboration with institutions including the Qatar Foundation and the King’s Foundation.
“At some time during the conference, you will see the beautiful headquarters of the Global Biodiversity Alliance set in nature itself,” the president said.
He said the building will house the secretariat and serve as a centre for learning and for advancing the key questions the alliance needs to answer. His Majesty is scheduled to visit the conference later today.
President Ali also noted that Guyana and the Commonwealth have agreed to establish the Guyana Commonwealth Centre for Biodiversity. The centre will support the alliance’s work plan and work closely with the Iwokrama International Centre, bringing together scientific expertise, research and capacity-building for biodiversity-rich countries.
“We did not establish the Global Biodiversity Alliance simply to create another international forum for discussing the importance of nature. The world has enough declarations about the importance of biodiversity,” he said.
Over the past year, the alliance has strengthened engagement with the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank. It has also expanded its knowledge partnerships to include Yale University and the Commonwealth Secretariat.