Azerbaijan signs declaration on children, youth, and climate action at COP29

On November 11, 2024, at the commencement of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the government of Azerbaijan signed the Declaration on Children, Youth, and Climate Action, pledging to make children the center of climate policy.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and COP29 President, Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, Leyla Hasanova, COP29 Youth Climate Advocate, high-ranking government officials, and children and youth representatives from Azerbaijan.

UNICEF welcomed the Azerbaijani government's commitment made by signing this declaration, which is the first framework adopted at local and global levels to accelerate child- and youth-centered climate policies. Climate change adversely affects children's health, development, safety, and access to essential services, with approximately one billion children, or half of the world's children, living in 33 countries highly vulnerable to climate change and pollution impacts.

Minister Babayev emphasized Azerbaijan's renewed commitment to a climate process that matters to children and youth, stating, "We call on everyone to consider how climate actions can contribute to a more sustainable future for children and youth."

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed the importance of placing children at the heart of climate change policy and investing in solutions to protect them from its consequences, adding, "Azerbaijan's signing of this declaration is another step that puts children at the center of the climate agenda."

UNICEF urges other countries to join this declaration and commit to protecting children from the worsening impacts of climate change. To support the declaration's implementation, UNICEF collaborates with governments and partners to adapt and strengthen existing child-critical systems, such as education, social protection, and healthcare, to make these services climate-resilient and responsive to its consequences.

Photo: Vugar Khanlarov