Azerbaijan`s COP29 Presidency held another event on Wednesday as part of the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany.

Addressing the event, which featured discussions on global climate change, Elshad Iskandarov, Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan shared his perspective on addressing global climate change issues. He emphasized that one of Azerbaijan’s priorities during its COP29 presidency is to support international peace and security. Highlighting the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to create a special fund to support small island states, Elshad Iskandarov noted that the growing population of this part of the world are particularly vulnerable both to climate change and conflicts. He underscored that the event, organized by Azerbaijan’s COP29 Presidency, is aimed at providing an effective strategy and practical support to such peoples.

Speaking to the event, COP28 Presidency Representative Dane McQueen shed light on COP28 Declaration on climate, relief, recovery and peace adopted last year during the previous COP in Dubai. He lauded the advancement of the COP peace agenda under the presidency of Azerbaijan, and expressed his assurance that this the issue will take concrete shape.

Other speakers of the event, including German Climate Negotiator Elisa Oezbek and Uganda's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Adonia Ayebare highlighted the importance of international assistance to the world's population belonging to a particularly vulnerable category, and the importance of taking preventive measures to avoid conflicts based on the struggle for sources of drinking water, air and fertile land in the future. Representatives of Germany and Uganda took the initiative to discuss this issue at the COP event in Baku.

Dennis Sammut, Director of LINKS Europe Foundation, speaking on behalf of the Bonn Contact Group on Climate and Peace, and Benjamin Pohl, Head of Programme Climate Diplomacy and Security at adelphi in Germany, drew the participants` attention to the fact that more than 50 international NGOs had prepared a package of concrete proposals on the issues water scarcity, food security and ecosystem damage from mine pollution.

Expressing their gratitude to Azerbaijan for the attention paid to the regions belonging to the especially sensitive category within the COP29, representatives of Brazil, the USA, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan and other member countries expressed their hopes that the discussion on "Peace and climate change" would be organized at a high level during COP29, bringing concrete results.

Elgun Niftali

Special correspondent