On the 3rd of June 2024, the Organising Committee of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held its fourth meeting.

Samir Nuriyev, the Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Organising Committee, briefed attendees on the progress made on the implementation of the COP29 Action Plan since the last meeting, in accordance with the directives of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ilham Aliyev.

The Chairman of the Organising Committee stated that under the steadfast stewardship of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is spearheading climate action on the global stage. Samir Nuriyev underscored that the vital directives and tenets espoused by President Ilham Aliyev form the bedrock of Azerbaijan’s COP29 efforts. The international community has wholeheartedly welcomed the President’s pledge to champion the concerns of Small Island Developing States in the face of climate change as a key priority for Azerbaijan.

S. Nuriyev highlighted that in recent months, the COP29 team has convened numerous meetings and consultations with various negotiation blocs to ensure transparency and inclusivity, understand their stances and anticipations for COP29, and work towards forging global solidarity and consensus on the deliberated topics.

Referring to the Bonn Climate Change Conference, which commenced today, the Chairman of the Organising Committee noted that Azerbaijan is now embarking on the active phase of the COP29 Presidency and that state institutions must further intensify their efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the COP29 Climate Change Conference.

S. Nuriyev also underscored the contributions of civil society to the processes, specifically noting the outpouring of support declarations for Azerbaijan as the host of COP29 by around 130 African NGOs, including several NGOs participating in the C7 Civil Society Summit in Italy.

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev, provided an update on the overall progress in the run-up to COP29 and the Bonn Climate Change Conference, stating that Azerbaijan plans to convene various events within the conference framework, highlighting the vision and initiatives of the COP29 Presidency.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov spoke about the meetings and consultations held with diverse countries and negotiation blocs, the COP29 Presidency’s Action Agenda, and the current status of the documents slated for adoption at COP29.

SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf delivered a speech on SOCAR’s green agenda and its activities aimed at emissions reduction.

Chairwoman of the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs Bahar Muradova spoke about the role of women in climate action.

Chairman of the State Customs Committee Shahin Baghirov discussed the regulation of customs-related matters during COP29 and the implementation of expedited customs clearance procedures for delegations and their personal effects.

Chairman of the State Tourism Agency Fuad Naghiyev provided information about hotels and other accommodation options, including the recently launched unified online reservation platform.

Member of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Konul Nurullayeva talked about parliamentary activities related to COP29, especially the Parliamentary Conference to be held as part of cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Chairwoman of the “Women, Development, Future” Public Union Gulshan Akhundova delivered a speech on the contributions of civil society organizations to COP29.

Following the meeting’s close, the participants were tasked with continuing the work towards implementing the COP29 Action Plan and addressing other pertinent matters.