Guyana will champion the Commonwealth Living Lands Action Group on sustainable green cover and biodiversity, committing itself to lead coordinated efforts across the 56 Commonwealth member countries.

The announcement comes after a Commonwealth event in Dubai over the weekend during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). During the event, the Commonwealth Secretariat launched a new implementation framework to facilitate coordinated action among the 56 Commonwealth countries on land, biodiversity and climate challenges, directly impacting a quarter of the world’s land area.

 The launch comes after extensive consultations with Commonwealth countries since the adoption of the Living Lands Charter last year.

Guyana, is required to work along with other Commonwealth countries to take bold actions and set ambitious targets, Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland said.

“The impact of climate change is increasingly severe across our countries. Food insecurity is increasing. Soil is depleting. The sheer scale of these challenges compels us to lead with bold action.” The Commonwealth SG said.

Guyana’s main role the Commonwealth SG explained will be to champion action on sustainable green cover and biodiversity.

“With this implementation framework, we are taking a giant leap forward. It will leverage the combined strength of the Commonwealth through thematic action working groups – learning from each other and spurring one another on towards systems change and a better future for all.”

The framework takes a system-wide approach towards implementing the Living Lands Charter through five thematic action areas: climate-resilient agriculture for food security; soil and water conservation; sustainable green cover and biodiversity; carbon neutral and climate-resilient livestock rearing and animal husbandry; and indigenous and local people for climate-resilient development.

Within each thematic area, the Commonwealth will offer extensive support to countries to achieve their commitments. This support entails mobilising resources for implementation, conducting analyses for policymaking, facilitating institutional governance, offering capacity-building assistance, and generating knowledge for member countries.

The implementation framework has been developed in response to a mandate from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in June 2022.

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