Azerbaijani MFA hosts high-level event in Bangkok

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry (MFA) has organized a high-level event on peace and climate resilience within the 82nd session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, Report informs, citing the ministry.

The event was held under the slogan Leaving No One Behind with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UNESCAP Secretariat. Ministers from small island developing states, senior government officials, and representatives of international organizations delivered speeches.

The keynote address was given by Elshad Iskandarov, Ambassador at Large of the MFA, who emphasized that, under the directives of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan attaches special attention and care to small island states. He highlighted the historic decisions on climate finance adopted under Azerbaijan's leadership at COP29, stressing their importance for countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Iskandarov noted Azerbaijan's support for small island states through international technical assistance, resilience-building, and capacity development. He also spoke about the cooperation plans of the Baku Climate and Peace Action Center, one of COP29's successful initiatives, with small island countries.

Speakers from Tonga, the Maldives, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, and Samoa praised Azerbaijan's leadership in addressing global challenges and expressed gratitude for the support extended to their nations. They underlined that the initiatives advanced through the Baku Center create significant opportunities for deepening international cooperation and mobilizing sustainable financing mechanisms for climate-sensitive countries. Representatives of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands even submitted requests to collaborate with the Center.

UNESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary Lin Yang and an IOM representative also highlighted the importance of this first high-level dialogue under Azerbaijan's chairmanship at UNESCAP, expressing institutional support for Azerbaijan's initiatives to strengthen climate resilience and sustainable development in small island states.