Guyana, Belize sign pact to deepen forest collaboration

The Governments of Guyana and Belize have inked a new cooperation agreement in the forest sector – a move that is seen as a major advancement for not just regional integration but also environmental cooperation and sustainable development.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Georgetown on Friday, establishes a framework for collaboration in sustainable forest management, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience while promoting joint research, technical training, and information sharing.
Both Guyana and Belize are heavily forested nations, boasting around 85 per cent and about 60 per cent, respectively.

According to Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd during Friday’s signing ceremony, this partnership is especially significant given the impact climate change has on small countries, particularly within this region.
“As small states that are inherently vulnerable, we cannot do it alone. We need partnership. And we need partnership not only at the national level, we need partnership at the regional level, and we need partnership at the multilateral level… which is where we need to be to be able to bring any solution to the effects of climate change,” he noted.
Todd further recognised the efforts of both countries to position forests as an integral part of the climate conversation. “This is a very good signal for the regional community and, by extension, for the global community in terms of the efforts that we’re taking to ensure that we play our role.”
He added that this partnership also aligns with Guyana’s Global Biodiversity Alliance while advancing cooperation in the areas of research and technical training, among others.
“I think adding the environment to the conversation in the signing of this MOU shows that we are broad-based, we’re thinking holistically, and we’re trying to move in a very coordinated manner… Now that we have this partnership, I think we have a greater voice, a greater standing, and a better position in terms of how we move forward,” Todd noted.
The MoU signed between Minister Todd and Belize’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management, Orlando Habet, has an initial five-year implementation period through joint initiatives and a possible technical working group with an automatic extension provision that allows for the two countries to continue this environmental collaboration long into the future.
Meanwhile, Minister Habet underscored the importance of biodiversity-rich CARICOM countries exploring the value of their natural assets and leveraging those to drive sustainable development – something that his country is looking to do through this MoU with Guyana.
“This Memorandum of Understanding is more than a document… it represents collaboration in forest conservation, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, MRV systems, and carbon market opportunities – areas that are critical not only to Belize and Guyana but also to the global climate agenda… Today, Belize and Guyana stand together not just as neighbours within CARICOM but as partners in safeguarding our forests, strengthening our resilience, and shaping a more sustainable future,” the Belizean Minister stated.
The MoU builds on recent high-level engagements, including the January 2026 state visit by President Dr Irfaan Ali to Belize. Friday’s MoU signing was witnessed by CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett and other officials.