The Organising Committee of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held its seventh meeting on October 1st.

Samir Nuriyev, Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Organising Committee, reviewed the progress made on the COP29 Action Plan since the committee’s last meeting, as instructed by President Ilham Aliyev. Mr. Nuriyev mentioned that during the "Summit of the Future" held in New York on September 22nd-23rd, and in the general debates of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, several heads of state and government referenced COP29, adding that Azerbaijan will be in spotlight of the entire world in November.

The Head of the Presidential Administration underlined that the COP29 Presidency organised various events in Baku in September, including the 3rd meeting of the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. Mr. Nuriyev expressed his confidence that the results achieved during the ongoing Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) would continue through COP and at future editions of BCAW. He emphasised the importance of Pre-COP, scheduled to be held on October 10th-11th.

Mr. Nuriyev noted that President Ilham Aliyev`s instruction to support the participation of small developing island states (SIDS) in COP29 was welcomed by both SIDS communities and the international community, as it ensures their inclusion at the conference. He added that Azerbaijani NGOs actively participated in the “Summit of the Future". During the Summit, 44 NGO representatives from 22 countries made a statement supporting Azerbaijan's steps to ensure inclusivity as the COP29 host.

Following Mr. Nuriyev’s remarks, Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and President-Designate of COP29, provided an update on the overall progress of COP29. Minister Babayev also gave an overview of the meetings held during New York Climate Week.

Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, reported on ongoing work at the Baku Olympic Stadium and other logistical preparations for COP29.

Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, provided updates on the outcomes of meetings held during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, along with other substantive issues related to COP29.

Samir Sharifov, Azerbaijan’s Finance Minister, shared the progress made on climate finance and cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to deliver scaled up, accessible finance.

Emin Amrullayev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Science and Education, reported on how educational institutions will operate during COP29. Ali Naghiyev, Chief of Azerbaijan’s State Security Service highlighted efforts made to ensure security during COP29.

Saadat Yusifova, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Culture, reported on the work done by the Ministry related to COP29, including the "Culture for Climate" initiative.

Ilhama Gadimova, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, shared details on preparations by the Ministry of Agriculture and introduced the "Harmoniya" initiative.

The meeting concluded with directives for the implementation of the COP29 Action Plan and other related tasks.