Azerbaijan Hosts Landmark COP29, Paving the Way for Historic Climate Action: Ilham Aliyev
Baku, The Gulf Observer: President Ilham Aliyev declared COP29 a pivotal moment in climate diplomacy in a statement shared on his social media accounts. He emphasized Azerbaijan’s pride in hosting the conference, which garnered global acclaim for its exceptional organization and significant achievements.
“Azerbaijan was honored to host COP29, with the unanimous support of the international community, less than a year ago. Despite the short timeframe, we ensured all necessary preparations for a smooth and efficient conference. Without exaggeration, the Baku COP will go down in history as one of the greatest COPs,” the President stated.
COP29, attended by 80 heads of state and government and over 76,000 registered participants, witnessed groundbreaking outcomes. President Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s role as an impartial facilitator, guided by the theme “In Solidarity for a Green World,” and its commitment to addressing the needs of developing nations, including small island states and least developed countries, which face severe climate vulnerabilities.
Key achievements of COP29 included the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund and the activation of Article 6 on carbon markets. Most notably, the conference marked the adoption of a landmark New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), setting a target to mobilize $300 billion for developing nations by 2035 to combat the adverse impacts of climate change.
President Aliyev also underscored Azerbaijan’s efforts to bridge divides between developed and developing countries, culminating in what he termed the “Baku breakthrough.” This historic agreement is expected to shape future climate diplomacy and action.
“The Baku COP is a triumph of multilateralism,” President Aliyev remarked, adding that the conference demonstrated solidarity with regions grappling with environmental challenges exacerbated by colonial legacies.
He extended gratitude to all parties, the United Nations, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for their support, noting that the outcomes of COP29 would positively influence global climate action in the years to come.
The achievements of COP29 reaffirm Azerbaijan’s commitment to fostering international collaboration in the fight against climate change and underscore the country’s leadership in global climate diplomacy.
