BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. The United Nations highly values the diplomatic and humanitarian efforts of Azerbaijan, Director-General of the United Nations at Geneva Tatiana Valovaya told Trend.
Valovaya noted that the upcoming IX Baku Global Forum is being held at a pivotal moment.
“Last year, Secretary-General António Guterres presented to the UN General Assembly his report entitled “Our Common Agenda”, which presents the vision of the future of global cooperation through an inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism. Next year, the Secretary-General is planning to convene the UN Summit of the Future, with the aim to reset global governance and improve multilateral response to the current and emerging global challenges. The rich program of the Forum encompasses the most acute issues of the global agenda: from the current peace and security architecture to future health governance, from climate change and energy transition to democratic challenges in the 21st century. The Forum presents a timely and important opportunity to reflect on the state of the planet today and look into the future,” she said.
Valovaya added that the region does not exist in isolation in our interconnected world, so the global challenges are also the challenges of the South Caucasus: a climate emergency, uneven recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and a triple crisis of food, energy, and debt, with serious implications for the global financial system.
“These interlinked crises are exacerbated by the tragic consequences of the ongoing war in Ukraine, which also affect the region and challenge the fragile equilibrium of various economic, political and energy powers and interests. Given the magnitude of the crisis and the urgency of action, the United Nations highly values diplomatic and humanitarian efforts of various countries, including Azerbaijan, to address various dimensions of the conflict,” she said.
In her words, the climate emergency also requires everybody’s attention and action right now.
“We need a smooth, just and inclusive transition away from fossil fuels in order to cut global carbon emissions drastically and rapidly. Let me highlight the efforts undertaken by Azerbaijan to promote the transition to a circular economy, and the use of modern technologies and renewable energy sources. The country’s new commitment, as announced at COP 26 in Glasgow last year, to reduce by 40 percent greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, is a very welcome step in the right direction,” Valovaya emphasized.
Valovaya noted that the world is undergoing a fundamental transformation, a transition to a new socio-economic paradigm.
“The new paradigm means a world, which is extremely interconnected and interdependent. We already have a roadmap in place – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, endorsed by all the Member States, and we need everybody’s efforts to advance implementation. The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated that to overcome today’s fragilities, we need more - not less - international cooperation, inclusion as well as strengthened, impactful multilateral institutions,” she said.
In her words, a new global order and a better global governance system with multilateral institutions fully empowered and equipped is needed to deliver on their mandates and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“We also need to fully take into account the diversity of stakeholders shaping this new multilateral order or otherwise influencing and transforming the current state of international affairs: civil society, youth groups, academia, and the private sector. We also need more women to shape a renewed multilateralism. I count on the collective wisdom of the distinguished participants of the IX Baku Global Forum to foster innovative partnerships and revitalize multilateral cooperation now when it is needed the most,” she said.
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