BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 27. A Strategic Session of the Climate Change Vulnerable Countries Network, suffering from conflicts and humanitarian needs, organized by Azerbaijan and hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was held under Azerbaijan's leadership of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) on February 26, 2025, a source in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.
High-level representatives from vulnerable countries, international organizations, and financial institutions participated in the session. The main goal of the event was to mobilize climate finance for the implementation of the Baku Call to Action on Climate Change for Peace, Aid, and Recovery, adopted last year at COP29 under Azerbaijan's chairmanship, and to develop practical solutions for strengthening resilience.
During the opening of the two-day strategic discussions, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev emphasized that the Baku Call to Action, adopted under Azerbaijan's COP29 chairmanship last year, as well as the establishment of the Baku Center for Climate and Peace Action as a practical implementation mechanism, were crucial steps to provide support for countries suffering from the climate crisis and conflicts. It was highlighted that within the framework of Azerbaijan's COP29 chairmanship, the country aims to implement pilot projects in several vulnerable countries to promote international cooperation for increasing assistance to these countries.
At the opening of the strategic meeting, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the UAE Abdulla Balalaa, the Director General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy Nickolay Mladenov, the Special Envoy on Climate Change for the Italian Government Francesco Corvaro, and the Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Adonia Ayebare also delivered speeches. The speakers praised Azerbaijan's climate diplomacy, particularly its focus on increasing assistance to vulnerable countries, and also highlighted the importance of the Baku Climate and Peace Center, which will be hosted in Azerbaijan, as a coordinating platform for large-scale international initiatives in the fields of peace and climate, considering it a clear demonstration of the trust the country has gained.
The session, which will continue today, is expected to result in the adoption of the Vulnerable Countries Network's statement and its roadmap for action.
COP29 conference held in Azerbaijan last November was notable for its important decisions:
- a new key annual funding mobilization target of $300 billion was set, tripling the previous target of $100 billion;
- the Loss and Damage Fund was operationalized;
- negotiations on establishing robust carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement were finalized.
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