Trinidad and Tobago has been officially welcomed as the 125th member of the Global Biodiversity Alliance.

President Dr Irfaan Ali presented Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar with the certificate of membership on the sidelines of the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Saint Lucia.

The Global Biodiversity Alliance was established as a commitment made by Guyana at the United Nations General Assembly, to create a platform bringing together world leaders, experts, Indigenous Peoples, stakeholders and local communities to strengthen global efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity.

Ali welcomed Trinidad and Tobago's participation, saying he was pleased Persad-Bissessar had signed on and would receive her certificate of membership. He said Guyana would host the Alliance's second global summit later this year and that he looked forward to Persad-Bissessar's attendance, as work continued on "monetising biodiversity assets, safeguarding biodiversity assets, and investment that will rejuvenate biodiversity because it is critical to our existence on earth."

Ali said the alliance builds on work undertaken through Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and seeks to position the region as a leader in addressing global environmental challenges.

Persad-Bissessar thanked Ali for the invitation, describing the alliance as a "very important initiative" and saying she looked forward to working together.

Ali also emphasised the urgent need for action, noting that the world has lost nearly 60 per cent of its biodiversity over the past 50 years. He underscored the importance of biodiversity to scientific research, pharmaceutical development, medicine, and the preservation of indigenous culture and heritage.

According to Ali, the alliance focuses not only on conserving biodiversity assets but also on creating opportunities to monetise those assets sustainably, generating investments that can benefit both people and the environment.