BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 19. Within the framework of the 62nd Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies held in Bonn, a High-Level Panel: “Baku Hub Partnership – Advancing Peace-Positive Climate Action in Vulnerable Contexts” was organized by the COP29 Presidency, Trend reports.
The event was attended by high-level representatives from various countries, international organizations, multilateral development banks, climate funds, civil society representatives, and young leaders.
At the opening ceremony, Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijani President’s Special Representative on Climate Issues and COP29 President, Abdullah Balalaa, Assistant Minister Of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Francesco Corvaro, Special Envoy for Climate Change of the Italian Government, spoke, noting that the Baku Climate and Peace Action Hub, established last year on the initiative of Azerbaijan’s COP presidency, has become an important platform for international cooperation.
It was stated that the Baku Hub is supported by more than 30 countries, several prestigious global institutions, and over 300 international non-governmental organizations.
Elshad Iskandarov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced pilot projects aimed at providing international support and financial partnerships in the field of climate and peace for Chad, Iraq, and Guinea-Bissau as the next phase of the Hub’s activities.
Subsequent panel discussions featured project presentations by these countries, highlighting their contributions to strengthening the national capacities of developing countries. Gratitude was expressed to Azerbaijan for its support in project development.
Representatives from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Green Climate Fund, UNEP, UNDP, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and other institutions expressed support for the implementation of these projects, noting that they will contribute to addressing water scarcity, land degradation, food security, and climate-related migration, positively impacting the lives of over 500 million people worldwide.
In his concluding remarks, Yalchin Rafiyev, COP29 Lead Negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed gratitude for the high appreciation of the Baku Hub’s activities and emphasized that Azerbaijan will continue to support less developed countries in the nexus of peace and climate.
