The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Hon Shirley Botchwey, and His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, recently announced a roadmap for collaborating on the establishment of a new Commonwealth Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity.
To be hosted in Guyana, the Centre of Excellence will serve as an operational hub to drive biodiversity research and scale conservation best practices in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Plans include deploying AI and digital technologies to map, monitor and report progress, advancing Indigenous knowledge sharing as well as developing innovative bioeconomic models such as carbon and biodiversity credits.
The Commonwealth and Guyana have a historic partnership in biodiversity dating back to 1989 when then-President Desmond Hoyte shared at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malaysia that Guyana, together with the Commonwealth, would study the utilisation of forests to find sustainable solutions for future generations.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Hon. Shirley Botchwey, said:
“We have walked this journey with Guyana since 1989, when the Iwokrama Forest was gifted to the Commonwealth. Today, we are rooting the entire Commonwealth in that wisdom. By establishing this Centre of Excellence, we are providing our 56 member states with the data and tools they need to turn nature into an engine of sustainable growth, ensuring that our natural wealth supports our people for generations to come.”
A ‘hub and spokes’ model
Building on Guyana's leadership of the Global Biodiversity Alliance launched in July 2025, the centre will operate on a 'hub and spokes' model. Practically, this means that Guyana will serve as the central node, connecting regional partners to create a multilateral partnership that links global science with local action.
The Commonwealth’s Living Lands Charter and its Blue Charter working and action groups are leading initiatives for biodiversity conservation. The Secretariat has also led on establishing highly influential and effective Centres of Excellence within the Commonwealth, such as the Climate Finance Access Hub in Mauritius and the Blue Charter Centre of Excellence in Cyprus.
Safeguarding people and planet
The centre will be a global engine for policy and market-driven solutions to provide a return for countries bestowed with these invaluable nature assets. One million species are currently at risk of extinction, and the decline of ecosystems threatens the food security, fresh water, human health, culture and economic resilience of billions of people. The Centre of Excellence intends to reverse that trend, securing the livelihoods of communities across the Commonwealth who depend on healthy lands and oceans for their survival.
The centre will draw lessons from how Amerindian communities co-manage the Iwokrama Forest. They have achieved remarkable results, yielding inclusive conservation, sustainable development and true partnership over the past 30 years, working together for sustainable tourism and sustainable forestry to ensure the forest’s continued biodiversity, and community development.
Governance and strategy
To ensure rigorous oversight, the centre will be governed by a joint steering committee between the Commonwealth Secretariat and Guyana. The centre will prioritise inclusivity, with dedicated engagement mechanisms for youth, women, academia and the private sector.
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