Micronesia and Marshall Islands seek new partnership with Baku Hub to bolster climate action

On April 22, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a high-level event on peace and climate resilience in Bangkok, held as part of the 82nd session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Report informs.

The event, organized under the theme "Leaving No One Behind" with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UNESCAP Secretariat, featured addresses by ministers of small island developing states, senior government officials, and representatives of international organizations.

In his keynote address, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elshad Iskandarov underscored that under President Ilham Aliyev's instructions, Azerbaijan provides special attention and support to small island developing states. The Ambassador further emphasized that the landmark decisions on climate finance adopted at COP29 under Azerbaijan's leadership are of particular significance, especially for countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Highlighting Azerbaijan's support for small island developing states in international technical assistance, climate resilience, and capacity building, Elshad Iskandarov outlined the Baku Climate and Peace Action Hub's cooperation plans with these countries for the current year, as one of the flagship initiatives of Azerbaijan's COP29 Presidency.

In their remarks, Minister of Internal Affairs of Tonga, along with government representatives of the Maldives, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, and Samoa, commended Azerbaijan in addressing global challenges, expressing appreciation to the country's leadership for its continued support and attention.

They also emphasized that the successful peace-oriented climate initiatives developed under the Baku Climate and Peace Action Hub - a key initiative of the COP29 Presidency - offer important opportunities for enhancing international cooperation and mobilizing sustainable financing mechanisms for climate-vulnerable countries. In this regard, representatives of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have submitted a request to establish cooperation with the Baku Hub.

UNESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary Li Yang and an IOM representative highlighted the importance of the first high-level dialogue under Azerbaijan's UNESCAP chairmanship and expressed support for Azerbaijan-led initiatives on climate resilience and sustainable development for small island developing states.