UN Assistant Secretary-General Calls for Bold Collective Action at Guyana’s Inaugural Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit

At the high-level plenary of the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Michelle Muschett, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), delivered a powerful call to action. Speaking alongside leaders, including His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and heads of state from across the region, Muschett emphasized the critical moment the world faces in shifting from nature-negative to nature-positive development pathways.

"Environmental action is more urgent than ever before. This is an evidence-based affirmation. The world’s temperature increase of 2.5 to 2.9°C is threatening irreversible damage to our climate, ecosystems, and human development at an alarming rate,” Muschett stated.

She praised Guyana’s leadership in biodiversity conservation, particularly its Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, and acknowledged the strong collaboration of the UN Country Team in Guyana, including the contributions of UNEP, UNDRR, FAO, and UNDP, under the leadership of UN Resident Coordinator Jean Kamau.

A Pivotal Year for Biodiversity

Muschett cited sobering statistics, including a 69% decline in monitored wildlife populations since 1970 and a biodiversity financing gap exceeding USD 200 billion annually. Yet, she offered hope:

“2025 is a pivotal year,” she said. “This won’t happen by accident—and there won’t be another chance.”

She underscored the importance of multilateralism and renewed global cooperation, drawing momentum from recent international gatherings in Nice (UN Ocean Conference) and Seville (International Conference on Financing for Development), with high expectations for COP30 in Brazil later this year.

UNDP’s Commitment: Turning Words into Results

Muschett reaffirmed UNDP’s full commitment to turning biodiversity commitments into action. Through its USD 3.9 billion Nature Pledge portfolio, UNDP is actively supporting countries to:

• Align National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
• Promote sustainable land use and restore ecosystems
• Operationalize the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

She also highlighted the impact of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), now active in 133 countries, which has already mobilized USD 1.6 billion for biodiversity-aligned financing solutions. These efforts integrate biodiversity investments into national budgets, open new markets, and ensure systemic and lasting change.

Latin America and the Caribbean: A Region of Unique Opportunity

Reflecting on her role as Regional Director, Muschett noted the region’s dual identity: the most biodiverse region in the world, and the most democratic among developing regions.

She stated that the region has the unique potential to lead the way forward  towards  nature-based development through democratic mechanisms.

She previewed some of the key findings from two upcoming UNDP regional flagship reports—“Under Pressure: Recalibrating the Future of Development” and the Democracy and Development Report—which spotlight the urgency of reimagining development models to build resilience and shared prosperity through biodiversity conservation and democratic governance.

A Moment to Act—Together

Closing her remarks, Muschett called on all participants to view the Summit as an inflection point:

“Let it be a moment to inspire one another, to exchange solutions, and forge partnerships that will deliver real, lasting impact for every country represented here and for the planet that we all share – with a sense of urgency, but also with firm hope for what we can achieve acting together, protecting biodiversity together.”