Dr. Wendell Samuel, CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General (ag) Economic Integration Innovation and Development, has positioned a regional biodiversity technical and scientific cooperation centre as a strategic investment in the Region’s future.
“Through cooperation, shared capacity, and inclusive partnerships, we can ensure that Caribbean development proceeds in harmony with the protection of our biodiversity,” he said at the inaugural meeting of the CARICOM Sub-Regional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Centre (TSCC) Partners Network on Monday, 23 March in Georgetown, Guyana.
The meeting, which drew participation from CARICOM Member States, regional institutions, and international partners, is an important step in strengthening the Region’s scientific and technical capacity to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.
The Assistant Secretary-General explained that the TSCC is designed to address enduring regional challenges, including fragmented knowledge systems, limited research capacity, weak technology transfer, and insufficient coordination among biodiversity actors. He added that it will also elevate regional priorities such as agrobiodiversity for food security, nature‑based livelihoods, and the climate–biodiversity–oceans nexus.
The TSCC Partners Network will work as the Centre’s advisory and steering mechanism and will guide its technical direction, oversight, and collaborative engagement, reflecting the inclusive approach required to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework. The CARICOM Secretariat will serve as a central hub for the TSCC, facilitating access to scientific knowledge, tools, technologies, and opportunities for cooperation across Member States and regional and academic institutions.
Outcomes of the three-day Partners Network meeting include finalizing the terms of reference, validating the five‑year workplan, mapping the regional scientific and technical landscape; identifying shared priorities; and agreeing on mechanisms for collaboration and resource mobilisation.
The TSCC meeting kicked off a week of engagements around climate, the ocean and biodiversity being held in Guyana. The activities are convened by the CARICOM Secretariat in partnership with the Government of Guyana, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (UKFCDO) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The events are being held against the background of the development of the CARICOM Ocean Policy, operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, ongoing reform of the international financial architecture, and an intensified global focus on adaptation and ocean governance.