On November 12, within the framework of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), a conference on “Youth at the forefront of climate action.”
AZERTAC reports that the First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Lady of the Kyrgyz Republic Aygul Japarova, the First Lady of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva, the First Lady of the Republic of Turkey Amina Erdogan, the Director General of the World Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Salim bin Muhammad Al-Malik, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Tatiana Molchan, Regional Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for Europe and Central America Asia Regina De Dominicis participated.
The main objective of the event is to draw the attention of the international community to the importance of Central Asian and Turkish-speaking countries in the fight against climate change and to present the measures taken in line with international obligations by involving the youth of these countries. on the climate agenda.
The first lady of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva, the first lady of the Kyrgyz Republic, Aygül Japarova, and the first lady of the Republic of Turkey, Amina Erdogan, spoke at the conference.
Then Mehriban Aliyeva, the first lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan, spoke at the conference.
First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva production
Dear First Ladies,
Dear guests,
Dear young participants.
Ladies and gentlemen.
First of all, I would like to welcome you to Azerbaijan, wish you all good health and peace and tranquility to the countries you represent at COP29.
The purpose of our panel “Youth at the forefront of climate action” is clear from the name itself. According to recent studies, more than 60 percent of the world’s young people consider climate change an urgent problem.
I hope that within the framework of COP29 we will have the opportunity to create a platform for cooperation, exchange of experiences and identification of joint projects by the younger generation.
I welcome all young people, eco-activists, all representatives of youth organizations who participated in COP29 and took care of themselves.
I express my gratitude to the First Lady of the Republic of Turkey, who initiated the creation of the Zero Waste Fund and personally contributed to projects aimed at protecting the environment and cultural heritage.
I highly appreciate the efforts of Uzbekistan for its initiative, which resulted in the adoption of the Central Asia Strategy last year, in order to promote the participation of children and youth in the climate agenda 2024-2030, including sustainable development .
I would like to express my gratitude to the First Lady of Uzbekistan, Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva, who personally sponsored such an important event.
I thank the first lady of Kyrgyzstan for her active role and participation in raising awareness about the environmental agenda and the incorporation of young people into that agenda.
Dear friends, it is a great honor for us to be selected as a COP29 country. We are proud that the first COP conference in the South Caucasus, Central Asia and the wider region is being held in Azerbaijan.
The world faces serious environmental challenges, such as pollution of the biosphere, scarcity of drinking water, frequent droughts and increasing risks to food security. Our country is no exception. We observe a decrease in the water level of rivers and the Caspian Sea and we face the threat of water scarcity.
I would like to point out that 0.1 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas waste ends up in Azerbaijan. We are making progress toward our national goals of reducing air emissions and implementing a clean energy transition. At the current rate of progress in renewable energy, we expect our installed capacity to reach 32 percent by 2027, three years ahead of our initial target of a 30 percent reduction by 2030.
We are also paying attention to the creation of a “net zero emissions zone” by 2050 in the Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur regions liberated from Armenian occupation, as well as in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Active work is already underway mainly on solar and wind energy projects. The production and export of green energy is a priority in Azerbaijan’s energy strategy.
For a long time, climate action has been one of the most important and priority issues internationally. Despite the measures adopted, the challenges and threats facing humanity are becoming more serious every day. With this in mind, it is time to review the approaches and methods used to solve global problems. Today I want to address another important issue that must be addressed clearly and adequately: hypocrisy and double standards are evident on the international environmental agenda.
As the host country of COP29, Azerbaijan has faced a wave of unfair attacks, false narratives and double standards due to considerations far removed from environmental issues.
By committing to host COP29, Azerbaijan seeks to build bridges between the Global South and the Global North, as well as between developed and developing countries. Our goal is to turn our contribution to the solution of this issue into a contribution to the common future. However, in some cases, instead of providing support and engaging in constructive dialogue, we have become the target of numerous smear and smear campaigns in the Western press. It is known that the media has become a tool to discredit countries that do not follow the pre-established script or respect the established rules, do not apply independent policies and do not protect their national interests. Some large media platforms, under the influence of certain countries, begin to spread negative stories about Azerbaijan.
Actually, what’s behind this? What are the goals of the sponsors of such an ugly campaign? Actually, we know the answer.
Our citizens have the right to fairly and correctly represent their country on the international stage. They have the right not to be victims of pressure and manipulation by circles that see Azerbaijan’s independent position as a threat.
Our achievements and our work deserve respect, not misrepresentations for the sake of the geopolitical interests of some states.
Hypocrisy is also evident in the way different countries approach their climate commitments.
Developed countries, which have been the main source of pollution and irresponsible consumers of resources for centuries, are now acting as harsh judges. They promote strict restrictions for everyone while pursuing ambitious policy goals and continuing to work for their own interests. They demand transformation from other countries, but are in no rush to help financially or technologically.
Azerbaijan is a country that wants effective actions, real solution options and fair cooperation, not manipulation and pressure.
We want to use our platform in such a way that a global coalition is formed, where the position and rights of each country, large or small, developed or developing, are accepted fairly.
False narratives and hypocrisy not only distort reality, but also call into question fundamental concepts such as justice and equity, dignity and responsibility.
Using the media to spread false information and carry out smear campaigns against countries does not so much harm those countries as it devalues the essence of moral values, weakens trust and creates division.
I call on all participants to remember that COP29 is not an arena for political attacks. It is a place where we are all united in the face of the climate crisis.
Only fair cooperation and preparation for real measures will lead us to success.
Dear friends, in conclusion, I would like to make a proposal regarding the organization of the upcoming conferences. I suggest that in the future the possibility of holding conferences in an online format be investigated. This approach will not only save significant money, but will also reduce emissions from flights and large events, as well as the impact on the environment.
Working groups may meet in person for detailed discussions and coordination. However, leaders’ summits can be held in the form of video conference.
This will allow us to focus resources, efforts and time on specific issues and make the process more environmentally friendly.
Thank you for your time.
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Then there were presentations by young eco-activists from Azerbaijan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan.
The presentations demonstrated the environmental problems and initiatives of the participating countries.
At the conference, the signing ceremony of the “International Strategy for the Promotion of Cultural Development and the Participation of Children and Youth in the Climate Agenda” for 2024-2030 was held.
After the speeches, a joint photo was taken.
After the conference, the dignitaries visited the COP29 Solidarity Center, a joint pavilion of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Turkey Zero Waste Foundation in the Green Zone.
The initiatives of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for environmental protection were presented in the pavilion. An interactive zone has been created related to projects in the educational, health and social fields. On this platform, the Zero Waste Foundation presents its projects in the field of resource efficiency, waste management and recycling, awareness programs on environmental protection and innovative solutions.
During the visit to the pavilion, the first ladies witnessed the tree planting action in Shamakhi district with the participation of youth and volunteers. During the campaign, more than 10 thousand pine trees were planted as a contribution to environmental protection.
