An Azerbaijani delegation led by Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Umayra Taghiyeva, and including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, participated in the annual World Environment Day event organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This year’s event, held on South Korea’s Jeju Island under the theme “Putting an End to Plastic Pollution,” brought together global stakeholders to address pressing environmental issues.

In her remarks, Umayra Taghiyeva briefed participants on the historic outcomes achieved during the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was hosted in Baku. The Azerbaijani delegation also engaged in bilateral and panel discussions, sharing perspectives on global ecological challenges.

At the event, Azerbaijan officially took over as the host of World Environment Day in 2026, beginning preparations in cooperation with UNEP.

World Environment Day 2026, to be hosted by Azerbaijan, will focus on climate change. This landmark event will further Azerbaijan’s contributions to international environmental cooperation, highlight the outcomes of COP29, and create synergy with the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), also set to be held in Azerbaijan next year.

World Environment Day is the biggest international day for the environment. Observed annually on June 5, this UN Day brings together millions of people across the globe in a shared mission to safeguard and restore our planet, empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals to drive sustainable change. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since 1973, World Environment Day has become the largest global environmental for environmental outreach, engaging a vast global audience across more than 150 countries in tackling today’s most pressing environmental challenges.