The implementation of the Climate and Peace agenda of the Azerbaijani COP29 presidency has been launched, Report informs, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
The Strategic Meeting of the Network of Climate-Vulnerable Countries Affected by Conflict and Humanitarian Needs was held under the auspices of the Azerbaijani presidency of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) and hosted by the United Arab Emirates.
The meeting was attended by high-level representatives of climate-vulnerable countries, international organizations and financial institutions. The main goal of the event is to mobilize climate finance and develop practical solutions to strengthen resilience in order to implement the Baku Call for Climate Action for Peace, Relief and Recovery, adopted at the initiative of the Azerbaijani presidency at COP29 last year.
At the opening ceremony of the two-day strategic discussions, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev noted that the Baku Call, adopted at the initiative of COP29 presidency last year, as well as the Baku Center for Climate and Peace Action, established as a practical implementation mechanism, are important practical steps to provide support to countries suffering from the climate crisis and conflicts. It was noted that Azerbaijan aims to achieve the implementation of pilot projects in a number of vulnerable countries within the framework of its COP29 presidency in order to promote international cooperation to increase assistance to vulnerable countries.
The opening of the strategic meeting was also addressed by Abdulla Balalaa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Nikolay Mladenov, Director General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, Francesco Corvaro, Special Envoy of the Government of Italy on Climate Change, and Adonia Ayebare, Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The speakers appreciated the goal of increasing assistance to vulnerable countries at the heart of Azerbaijan's climate diplomacy, and considered the role of the Baku Climate and Peace Center, which will be hosted by Azerbaijan, as a coordinating platform for large-scale international initiatives in the field of peace and climate, as a clear example of the trust Azerbaijan has earned.