BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. The first day of the International Baku Forum of Ombudsmen on Climate Change and Human Rights has ended today, Trend reports.
First, the address of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the participants of the forum was read out.
The event has convened ombudspersons, representatives from national human rights institutions, information commissioners, senior officials from government agencies, leaders of civil society organizations, and experts in climate change and human rights from approximately 30 countries.
Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, President of COP29 Mukhtar Babayev said that if the temperature rises further, it will create serious risks for both health and food security, and exceeding this threshold will lead to more severe droughts, damaging biodiversity.
Babayev emphasized that water shortages and shifting weather patterns may have long-term effects if failure to implement climate change mitigation measures is not implemented.
"In Azerbaijan, climate change is also severely impacting agriculture. The frequency of hot and dry winds has increased by 14 times, and hail occurrences have tripled. Water reserves in Azerbaijan have decreased by 15 percent, and the level of the Caspian Sea has also seen a serious decline in recent years," he added.
The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, pointed out that climate change consequences have no boundaries; negatively impacting the environment may lead to the emergence of more dangerous environmental problems for humanity and aren't limited to the territory of one country or region.
She also pointed out that a globally significant event, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), will take place next month in Azerbaijan.
The ombudsperson emphasized that necessary steps are currently being taken to organize this prestigious event at a high level, and hosting it in Azerbaijan is a sign of great respect and trust towards the country.
Aliyeva added that strengthening cooperation at the local, regional, and international levels to address environmental issues, which is also reflected in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and further improving mechanisms for the effective promotion, protection, and safeguarding of environmental rights, which are an integral part of human rights, is a priority task.
The UN Development Program's acting resident representative in Azerbaijan, Alessandra Roccasalvo, said that there should be global cooperation in the fight against climate change.
She noted that the new generation of youth is actively involved in the fight against climate change.
“Water scarcity is such a big problem that the next generations will suffer from it. They will not be able to carry out the work that the old generation has done. Azerbaijan will host COP29; it's not an easy task. However, I am proud that I will take part in it.
Through joint discussions, we can fight climate change and find solutions,” she added.
The forum seeks to address issues related to global climate change and examine solutions from a human rights perspective, while also sharing positive experiences in this area.
The event will also feature an award ceremony for winners of a research competition on the topic "Climate Change and Human Rights," initiated by the Ombudsperson and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Panel sessions will cover various topics, including "Strategies to support national human rights institutions and ombudsmen in climate change initiatives," "Public access to information on climate change and its impacts," "Multilateral cooperation in combating climate change," "The climate change connection with explosive remnants of war and mine contamination" and "Promoting business accountability in the context of climate change".
The forum will continue its work tomorrow.
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