Trinidad and Tobago officially became the 125th member of the Global Biodiversity Alliance on Friday, as Guyana continued to strengthen international partnerships to protect and restore biodiversity.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali presented Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar with the certificate of membership on the sidelines of the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government in Saint Lucia.
The Global Biodiversity Alliance was established following a commitment made by Guyana at the United Nations General Assembly to create a platform that brings together world leaders, experts, Indigenous Peoples, stakeholders and local communities to strengthen global biodiversity conservation and restoration efforts.
Welcoming Trinidad and Tobago to the alliance, President Ali said the country’s accession represents another important milestone in advancing global cooperation on environmental protection.
“I was pleased to officially welcome Trinidad and Tobago as the 125th member of the Global Biodiversity Alliance,” the president said.
The head of state noted that the alliance reflects Guyana’s commitment to fostering international collaboration to safeguard biodiversity.
He said, “The establishment of the Global Biodiversity Alliance is a commitment that Guyana made at the United Nations General Assembly to create a platform that brings together world leaders, experts, Indigenous Peoples, stakeholders and local communities to strengthen global efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity.”
Meanwhile, TT Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar welcomed Trinidad and Tobago’s membership, explaining her government is eager to contribute to the alliance’s work.
“Thank you very much, Mr President. I wanted to join this very important initiative because I am sure we can accomplish a great deal together. We have important issues to address, and by working together and sharing our intellect, we can address them. This is a very important initiative, and I thank you for bringing us on board. I look forward to working together,” the Trinidadian leader said.
The inclusion of Trinidad and Tobago increases the alliance’s membership to 125 countries, further expanding the global platform championed by Guyana to promote biodiversity conservation through partnership, knowledge sharing and collective action.