Feature Address for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity - International Biodiversity Day 2025
OECS Director General Official Remarks
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) platform
May 22, 2025
On this International Day for Biodiversity, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) stands with the global community in celebrating the breathtaking diversity of life that sustains our planet. But today is more than a celebration—it is a clarion call. A call to action, to courage, and to collective responsibility.
Biodiversity is not an abstract ideal—it is the lifeblood of our economies, our health, our culture, and our climate resilience. It is the web of life that supports every breath we take, every drop of water we drink, and every meal that nourishes our bodies. To protect biodiversity is to safeguard our very survival.
The 2025 theme—“Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development”—captures the essence of the OECS vision: a future in which people and planet thrive together. Our coral reefs, rainforests, wetlands, and marine ecosystems are not just beautiful—they are critical infrastructures of life, shaping our identity and anchoring our development.
As one of the world’s most vital biodiversity hotspots, the Caribbean—especially the OECS—is rich in unique and irreplaceable species. Yet, we face a sobering truth: more than 200 species in our region are critically endangered, many on the verge of extinction. The loss is not only ecological—it is economic, it is cultural, and it is moral.
This is our moment to act.
The OECS Commission, in collaboration with our Member States and strategic partners such as the European Union, remains steadfast in fulfilling the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the St. George’s Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability 2040. These frameworks guide our efforts as we also align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
But frameworks alone are not enough. Now is the time for transformation - not tomorrow, not next year, but today. We must invest boldly in nature-based solutions, harness indigenous knowledge, embrace green innovation, and ensure the equitable sharing of biodiversity’s benefits. The small island states of the OECS are not powerless - they are laboratories of resilience, and with unity, we can lead.
Let us reimagine development that respects natural limits. Let us act with urgency, purpose, and solidarity. Because harmony with nature is not a distant dream - it is the only future worth striving for.
Thank you.
