“Peace is a key priority for Azerbaijan,” said Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, during his address at the high-level panel on “Climate and Peace: Enabling Joint Action to Leave No One Behind,” held as part of COP29 in Baku.

Minister Bayramov highlighted the impacts of climate change, noting that the climate crisis exacerbates food insecurity, water scarcity, and land degradation, all of which contribute to increased migration.

He described climate change-induced disasters as catalysts for conflicts that deepen instability, emphasizing that “conflicts and their effects on infrastructure, land degradation, and biodiversity will further intensify the climate crisis, harming peace, stability, and development.”

FM Bayramov added that by 2021, 355 million households and approximately 1.3 billion people had been affected by climate-related disasters. “Over 500 million people live in conflict or potential conflict regions. In response to the growing concerns of the most vulnerable, the COP29 Presidency has been leading international efforts to strengthen joint action on the climate and peace nexus,” Bayramov emphasized.