Ambassador Byron Blake,

Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder, Vihara Foundation

 

Having served as the Jamaican Ambassador to the United Nations and as a former Senior Advisor to the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Byron Blake is an Economist with over fourty-five years experience, working at different levels in institution building, policy development and promotion, planning, program and project development and promotion in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM – 1970 -2004). Currently, he serves as the CARICOM Chair for the redevelopment of Haiti.

 

Ambassador Blake has developed projects and programs in agriculture; industry services including tourism, maritime and air transportation; energy; technology and the environment. His interests include regional integration, development economics, environmental issues as well as international trade and the role of business in national development.

 

Twice, Ambassador Blake has been responsible for the economic and environmental negotiations for the G77 (Group of 77 and China, a negotiation group for 131 developing countries and member states of the United Nations), with heavy focus on poverty and climate change.