Suriname has opened a high-level sub-regional dialogue bringing together Caribbean countries, technical experts, UN partners, and regional organizations to strengthen biodiversity monitoring and reporting. The three-day meeting, 2-4 December 2025, focuses on updating National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and preparing the Seventh National Report under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The purpose of this dialogue is to strengthen regional and subregional collaboration by facilitating dialogues, sharing lessons learned, and providing capacity-building and technical support to enhance monitoring and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Suriname’s Minister of Oil, Gas and Environment, Patrick Brunings, emphasized that nature is central to the Caribbean way of life shaping culture, identity, and survival. He called for practical collaboration to make biodiversity monitoring systems “measurable, transparent, and achievable,” reminding participants that indicators are accountability tools, not just numbers.

The Minister highlighted Suriname’s leadership in the region, noting that in 2024 the country became one of the first to submit an updated NBSAP a document developed entirely by Surinamese experts and communities and financed through the Suriname Conservation Foundation. “This document is a source of immense national pride. It proves that we have the capacity, the ownership, and the will to lead,” he said. Suriname is now moving forward with preparations for its Seventh National Report, due in February 2026.

Speaking on behalf of UNDP, the Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Suriname, Berdi Berdiyev, underscored that this dialogue provides an opportunity to chart a strategic direction for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the Caribbean region. He thanked the partners for their continued support and cooperation and reiterated UNDP’s commitment to providing technical expertise, facilitating access to regional networks, and implementation support. 

Joining virtually from Nairobi, UNEP representative Adraina Rivera Brusatin called for accelerated action to protect biodiversity.  “The Kunming-Montreal Framework is more than a global agreement it is a call to reimagine our relationship with nature,” Brusatin said.

In a video statement, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schomaker, reminded all participants of the importance of submitting the 7th national reports on time, as these will be the primary basis of the global review of implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which will be conducted at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

The present dialogue is organized jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Government of Suriname. It is attended by selected countries in the Caribbean, along with relevant regional or subregional organizations and stakeholder groups, including representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities, and women and youth.

The dialogue is held with the financial support of the UNEP China Trust Fund, UNDP, and the Global Environment Facility.