“Small Island Developing States needs support to deal with crisis they done next to nothing to create,” said António Guterres, UN Secretary General, as he addressed the Leaders’ Summit of the Small Islands Developing States on Climate Change held in Baku as part of COP29.
“You have every right to be angry. I am too. You are on the sharp end of a colossal injustice. An injustice that sees the very future of your islands threatened by rising seas. Your people pounded by record hurricanes. Your economies torn apart. And development gains left in tatters. This is an injustice perpetrated by the few. The G20 account for around eighty percent of global emissions. And it is an injustice that must end,” the UN chief noted.
“Your nations – the Small Island Developing States – are demonstrating what climate ambition looks like. You are the first responders. The world must follow you. And it must support you. First, by sparing no effort to keep 1.5 alive. That means global emissions falling nine percent a year to 2030. It means phasing out fossil fuels – fast and fairly – and delivering on the COP28 outcome. And it means every country putting forward new, economy-wide national climate action plans – or NDCs – by COP30, that align with 1.5 degrees,” Guterres added.
Addressing the event, Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, said: “The COP29 Presidency has been determined to make this an accessible conference that supports your participation and elevates your voices to the highest levels.
Small island states have shown remarkable leadership by setting ambitious targets despite limited resources and now others must match this commitment.”
Other speakers at the event included Samoan Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Toeolesulusulu Cedric Salesa Pōsē Schuster, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga, Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni Hu'akavameiliku, and Yalchin Rafiyev, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Baku Declaration on Amplifying SIDS’ Voice at COP29 for a Resilient and Sustainable Future was also adopted. The declaration acknowledges the scale and magnitude of climate change, its disproportionate effects on vulnerable groups and the need for urgent action. It also reaffirms that SIDS’ special circumstances make them particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and how Azerbaijan has elevated the role of SIDS at COP29.
In support of SIDS, the COP29 Presidency and the Government of Azerbaijan financially supported the participation of relevant delegates at COP29 and preparatory meetings preceding the Conference. This support was in addition to assistance provided through the UNFCCC’s Trust Fund for Participation (TFP), to which the Government of Azerbaijan also pledged a contribution.
