19 Oct, 2024
Azerbaijan Prosecutor General’s Office and UNODC held a special session in Vienna
A special session titled “Protecting People and Planet Through a Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Lens – From Vienna (UNTOC-COP12) to Baku (UNFCCC-COP29)” was organized by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Senior officials from foreign embassies accredited in Vienna, along with representatives from the Prosecutor General’s Offices of Austria and Thailand, the International Anti-Corruption Academy, and the International Association of Prosecutors, attended the event.
The event was opened by Ghada Waly, UN Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of UNODC, and Head of the Vienna Office. In her speech, she highly praised Azerbaijan’s efforts in preparing for COP29, the most significant climate conference to be held in the country this November.
Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev noted that the preparations for COP29, under the direct leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, were nearing completion. The attendees were informed about a high-level session titled “Mobilizing Law Enforcement for Enhanced Climate Action,” organized by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan and UNODC and co-chaired by the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates. This session is scheduled for November 15 as part of COP29.
A promotional video for COP29 was also shown.
Mr. Shahin Shahyarov, Senior Negotiator of COP29 outlined the vision and plans of the COP29 Presidency. The urgent need to address the environmental impact of organized crime was emphasized, as the link between the illegal activities and environmental harm is clear- driving ecosystem destruction and acceleration climate change.
Subsequently, Elnur Musayev and Erkin Alikhanov, directors from the Prosecutor General’s Office, shared insights on Azerbaijan’s progress in combating environmental crimes, the outcomes of the 29th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) held earlier in Baku, and details of the upcoming high-level session to be held within COP29.
During the visit, Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev held a bilateral meeting with UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. The Prosecutor General expressed satisfaction with the robust cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Nations, highlighting the ongoing collaboration between Azerbaijan’s law enforcement agencies and UNODC in combating transnational crime. Ghada Waly expressed her gratitude for the preparations for the joint event at COP29, praising the work done by the Azerbaijani Prosecutor’s Office.
Additionally, a meeting was held with the leadership of the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates. The greetings of Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE, were conveyed to Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev. Gratitude was expressed to the Azerbaijani side for agreeing to co-chair the high-level session to be organized within the framework of COP29.
Rovshan Sadigbeyli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria was present at the meetings.
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