The UN climate forum COP29 opened in Baku. This forum brings together dozens of leaders from the global South and North, including the European Union, Africa and the Arab world. Around 70,000 politicians, scientists, social activists and journalists gathered in Baku, along with high-ranking officials. Why is it so important for the UN to hold a global conference on climate change in light of the many crises happening around the world and the presidential election in the United States?
About this: NEWS.ru has prepared a special material.
The material claims that the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) began on Monday within the walls of the Baku Olympic Stadium. The decision to hold the conference in Baku was made a year ago at the COP28 event held in Dubai.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, President of the Council of the European Union Charles Michel, Prime Ministers of Great Britain, Italy and Spain Keir Starmer, Georgia Meloni and Pedro Sánchez, Crown Prince Mohammed of Saudi Arabia bin Salman, the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The heads of state of Iran and Israel are expected to participate in COP29.
Also announced that the leaders of the CIS countries will participate in COP29: the presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan, Alexander Lukashenko and Kasim-Jomart Tokayev. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Hungarian and Georgian Prime Ministers Viktor Orban and Irakli Kobakhidze are expected to visit Baku. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will represent Russia.
The article mentions that the conference to be held in Baku will last until November 22.
“There are 198 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (197 countries and the European Union). Most of them have previously signed the famous Paris climate agreement of 2015. According to Anar Alakbarov, member of the Organizing Committee of “67,000 people have registered to participate in the conference: diplomats, UN officials, political scientists, union leaders and NGO leaders. “3,500 journalists have registered to cover the case,” the document says.
It is noted that experts agree that the debate at the Baku conference will be heated.
Rafik Ismayilov, a political scientist at the Russian Council on International Relations, told NEWS.ru that based on the results of COP29, the New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) is expected to be agreed upon. According to him, this is an initiative of the economically developed countries of the world to allocate additional funds to the fight against climate change.
“Azerbaijan has previously presented 14 initiatives that should culminate in the adoption of declarations. These include climate, finance, trade and investment, and all of them will now be linked to the name of Baku. In addition, there are eight declarations and commitments , which are called “Baku” and will go down in the history of the conference. Azerbaijan is expected to propose new ideas to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources,” Ismayilov said.
He noted that Azerbaijan has accumulated great experience in holding important political, cultural and sports events. “Therefore, COP29 is not only a great responsibility for the republic, but also another opportunity to promote its soft power and increase the country’s attractiveness in many ways,” the expert explained.
In his opinion, the summit has a political as well as an ecological aspect. “Azerbaijan asked the world for a ceasefire during COP29. In addition, such a large platform is also an opportunity to develop bilateral relations with a large number of countries participating in the event. All this will undoubtedly affect the growth of geopolitical importance of Azerbaijan.” Ismayilov stressed.
“This conference is important to reduce the causes of climate change. Greenhouse gases destroy the atmosphere and cause strong hurricanes and droughts. We would like people to understand this and start working to eliminate these causes,” – one of the participants of the Forum, the director of the Institute of Geography of Burundi and national coordinator of the framework convention, Augustin Ngenzirabona, told NEWS.ru.
