Preparation of COP29 Presidency and Azerbaijan's support to conference are impressive - INTERVIEW with Simon Stiell

Climate change, which is one of the biggest challenges of modern times, has forced the world to take practical steps. At the center of the fight against this global problem is international cooperation and leadership. Azerbaijan reaffirms its important role in this struggle by hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The country's efforts against climate change are important not only at the regional but also at the global level. By chairing the COP29 to be held in November 2024, Azerbaijan is taking an important step in the formulation and implementation of climate policy.

Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in an interview with Report spoke about Azerbaijan's preparation for COP29, the support of the UN in this matter, the role of developing countries in issues related to climate action and gender equality.

- How do you assess Azerbaijan's preparation for COP29? What are the main priorities for COP29 and to what extent have they been achieved?

- The decision that Azerbaijan will host COP29 was made at the end of last year. So the country had a very short period of time to prepare.

It is impressive how the COP29 Presidency and the whole country mobilized to support and prepare for the conference.
We have seen how the Presidency team has grown in a short period of time, we have witnessed its openness, sincere, honest interaction with the parties, awareness of the roles and responsibilities entrusted to them and the challenges associated with this. All this was quite remarkable.

- What is the UN support for Azerbaijan to hold COP29 successfully?

- The UN Secretary-General has made it absolutely clear that the entire United Nations system is supporting Azerbaijan in hosting COP29.

Within UNFCCC, the secretariat, which I represent, plays a fundamental role in supporting the parties to the convention and the Presidency for the successful organization of COP.

- How do you assess the role of developing countries in the fight against climate change and what support measures do they need? Developing countries are still concerned about the lack of funds promised by developed countries to fight climate change.

- Developing countries have had the least influence on the emergence of the climate crisis, but suffer the most from its consequences. Therefore, first of all, they can be the moral authority, the voice that puts pressure on the developed industrial countries responsible for the crisis. This is their first role.

And secondly, with the right support, they can take action, especially in terms of adaptation and resilience.

- What do you think are the main obstacles to achieving the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change?

- They are not financial or technical, although the most contentious issues in the process concern finance, technical aspects of negotiations. But in fact, there are solutions for all these elements.

What is missing is political will. Lack of political will is the biggest obstacle to advancing climate action.

- As you know, Azerbaijan is an oil country and is chairing the conference. Have you seen positive changes in the use of traditional energy resources over the past year?

- What was very clear during the Dubai conference, the COP28, is that there is a need to transition away from oil and gas, away from all fossil fuels.

So this is a key area of ​​focus in terms of preventing further impacts of the climate crisis.

Any country that is a producer of oil, gas and coal can demonstrate its leadership in what it means to transition away from all fossil fuels and how it helps reduce emissions.

- And finally, are any measures being taken to promote the active participation of women in the COP?

- Of course. This is an important component of the climate negotiation process. And any process, any climate action without the full involvement of the entire population, and women are almost half of it, will lead to the fact that we will not fully achieve what we want in the fight against the climate crisis.

Sayad Hasanli, Elvin Jamalov, photo by Samira Hasanova