BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 8. The Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) is organizing a number of international forums, working groups and projects to support the implementation of the UN "Pact for the Future" and other important initiatives emanating from COP29, said Rza Aliyev, Chief Strategy and Sustainable Development Specialist of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), Trend reports.
According to him, COP29 has become an important milestone not only for Azerbaijan and NGIC, but also for the entire world in building a sustainable future and combating climate change.
"Compared to COP28, which was held in the United Arab Emirates in 2023, and COP30, which will be held in Brazil in 2025, for which the organizers had 2-3 years to prepare, Azerbaijan prepared the organization of COP29 in a very short period of time, just a few months. Immediately after the XI Global Baku Forum in March 2024, the NGIC joined the process of supporting the successful holding of the event, establishing a partnership with the COP29 Presidency. During the year, it supported the formation of the COP29 International Advisory Board together with Minister Mukhtar Babayev and the COP29 Presidency, and organized dozens of meetings with high-level UN representatives and climate activists, informing them about the preparations for COP29 and contributing to global discussions," he said.
Aliyev added that NGIC also participated in a number of important international climate events, including the Bonn Conference, London Climate Week and the discussion of COP29 as a central theme at the NGIC’s annual high-level meeting, which is held annually during the UN General Assembly in New York.
“During COP29, the Nizami Ganjavi International Centre’s engagement was highly appreciated. We organized over 16 high-level panels and our members actively participated in over 20 other panel discussions. We also had networking lunches and dinners with international leaders. During the event, the NGCI further strengthened the spirit of global cooperation by hosting over 80 guests from 25 countries and eight UN agencies,” said the Chief Strategy and Sustainable Development Specialist of NGCI.
According to Aliyev, during COP29, NGIC deepened its strategic partnership with the UN and related structures, as well as with authoritative international organizations.
"Our partners include the World Health Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, UNDP, the UN, UNAIDS and other UN agencies, as well as institutions such as the Ban Ki-moon Center for Global Citizens, CGIAR, the Vital Voices Global Partnership, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative. This collaboration has laid a solid foundation for the implementation of effective projects to combat climate change. But the most significant achievement for us was that President Ilham Aliyev and the COP29 Presidency invited a member of our Center, the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur Maimunah Mohd Sharif, to speak at the opening of the World Leaders Summit on Climate Action. Along with this, some of our government leaders - the Minister of Health, the Minister of Digital Development and Transport, the Minister of Agriculture and the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs - joined our panels and contributed to the discussions. These achievements show how important the NGIC is for bringing together different sectors in the fight against climate change," he noted.
Aliyev added that COP29 had a very important mission - to ensure the continuity of the successes achieved at COP28, to show the world how much work had been done in a year, and, most importantly, to advance the climate negotiations by creating its own legacy.
"COP29 started with big news - the carbon negotiations and the successes achieved under Article 6. Within two weeks historic advances were made on climate finance and the Loss and Damage Fund. The NGIC and its members were actively involved in these discussions, relaying information to the audience and to representatives in their countries, acting as a channel of communication to amplify the message of the COP29 organizer and support the achievement of consensus. The discussions organized by the NGIC within the framework of COP29 focused on concrete solutions and proposed innovative solutions to climate problems with an interdisciplinary approach. Our panel sessions discussed topics such as climate and health, digital green transition, the role of women's leadership. These discussions contributed to strengthening international cooperation and spurred the creation of effective mechanisms to combat climate change. After achieving a historic breakthrough at COP29, our job is to support its implementation phase and think through the path from Baku to Belem," he emphasized.
Aliyev noted that immediately after COP29, members of the NGIC went to Portugal to take part in the UN Alliance of Civilizations forum, and then held the Imperial Springs forum in Madrid, where the main results of COP29 were discussed.
"At our Geneva Conference in January this year, the implementation of COP29 will be the focus, and of course, at the XII Global Baku Forum in March in Baku, COP29 will also be a key topic. In addition, we plan to participate in many important climate conferences this year, including COP30. Our long-term plans include developing joint projects with various partners to support the implementation of the COP29 outcomes and further strengthen global cooperation. Our NGIC members, represented on the International Advisory Board, have made significant contributions to structuring the climate change debate and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. They have put forward recommendations on climate and health, social justice and energy transition. These studies have served as an important roadmap for global decision makers," he said.
According to Aliyev, the NGIC will focus on the implementation of the COP29 outcomes, as well as new initiatives to prepare for COP30.
"We are organizing a number of international forums, working groups and projects to support the implementation of the UN "Pact for the Future" and other important initiatives emanating from COP29. By deepening our current partnership with UN agencies and international organizations, we intend to have a greater impact on the fight against climate change," said Aliyev.