"COP29 will mobilize all efforts for climate action as a transparent, objective, inclusive platform"
Climate change also has a negative impact on water resources, and this issue is being discussed in particular in the run-up to COP29. It is no coincidence that Mr. President Ilham Aliyev brought up the issue of shallowing of the Caspian Sea during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on a state visit to our country these days. The President of Russia mentioned this in the meeting with the governor of the Astrakhan region. Our head of state stated in the meeting with his Russian counterpart that they exchanged views on the issues of concern to both sides, namely the ecological situation in the Caspian Sea and its catastrophic shallowing. An agreement was reached to jointly analyze the situation and identify solutions in both bilateral and pentalateral formats in order to prevent a possible environmental disaster.
At the 2022 Ashgabat summit, Mr. President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan shares the concern of the coastal states regarding the current state of the environment, and that our country is interested in expanding cooperation to solve the environmental problems of the Caspian Sea. As for the dynamics of shallowing, the head of state pointed out that in this regard, the delegations will continue the work of creating special expert groups to find out the causes of such an ecological disaster and define measures aimed at preventing further shallowing of the Caspian Sea.
Strengthening of action on climate change and water system is one of the main issues discussed within COP. By the way, on the eve of the COP29, preparations are being made for the first Climate Action Week in order to educate and mobilize society.
High-level international conferences, as well as multilateral local and community-oriented events are planned to be held at the Baku Climate Action Week organized in cooperation with the London Climate Action Week.
The Baku Climate Action Week, which will be held against the background of the busy schedule of the COP29 Presidency, will highlight the large-scale work done by both the city of Baku and Azerbaijan in general in the field of combating climate change, as well as the promotion of international cooperation to support climate action.
In general, climate change is not a future risk – it is a real and present threat to billions of people in the modern world. There are dangerous effects of climate change. In short, climate change has now become the biggest transnational problem. Climate change poses a threat to decades of global development gains as well as devastating consequences for many. Nevertheless, climate action promises a better future for everyone.
As Mr. President Ilham Aliyev also mentioned, we will do our best to play the role of a bridge between developed and developing countries and bring this process to a consensus within the framework of COP29. It is now more important than ever to see the fight against climate change as a shared responsibility, a moral duty and an irreplaceable opportunity for sustainable development.
As the chair, Azerbaijan is determined to implement COP29 in a transparent, objective, inclusive and party-driven manner. Our country is fully committed to inclusiveness throughout the process. It is no coincidence that the Group of Negotiators held more than 170 meetings at the Bonn sessions. We must all work together to achieve the 1.5°C target.
Strengthening multilateral financial institutions and climate funds is one of the main goals. Azerbaijan has announced the creation of the Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF) in order to invest in climate action in developing countries. As Mr. President Ilham Aliyev also noted, countries rich in natural resources should be ahead of countries struggling with climate change.
As it is known, informal consultations at the level of heads of delegations were held in Shamakhi on July 26-27 in order to discuss the main issues on the COP29 agenda. The meeting, attended by representatives of all negotiating groups, focused on the New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG), providing an opportunity to advance negotiations on all areas of the Paris Agreement, including key mandates such as Article 6. In the current climate negotiations, the parties were called to show constructiveness in the areas of disagreement.
At the same time, before the COP29 conference - within the framework of the pre-COP event to be held in Baku on October 10-11, discussion groups and representatives of the Like-minded Group will be received. A high-level dialogue of the Ministers will also be organized.
Azerbaijan has invited all world leaders to the Summit. Our country partners with the UN and international agencies to ensure continuity and interoperability in the preparation and implementation of the action agenda. At the same time, gender equality and creating the necessary conditions for young people is considered as a common factor among all thematic days and initiatives.
The Presidency of COP29 identified as a priority the provision of fully operationalization of Article 6, which is considered the main component of the Paris Agreement.
The annual COP conference is an important platform for sharing the benefits of decarbonization and climate resilience to prevent the global climate crisis.
At the climate-conflict nexus, COP29 also aims to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly, and to mobilize all efforts for climate action. As Mr. President Ilham Aliyev stated, we should not only organize a good event, but also achieve good results. The bottom line is that our COP agenda is predictable, focused on clear goals, objectives, and outcomes.
