In an interview with Report, Atif Gambarov, director of the Human Resources Department of the COP29 Operating Company, spoke about the role of youth and volunteer activities at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held in Baku on November 11-22 this year, as well as the contribution of the COP29 Volunteer Program to subsequent COP events.
- First, we would like to know how you see the role of youth in combating climate change
The role of youth in combating climate change is extremely important. Climate change is currently one of the foremost global challenges, and every individual should do their part in addressing it. Young people are the future of our country, and properly informing and educating them in this area will significantly affect the future development of the world. The majority of COP29 volunteers are Azerbaijani youth, and we, in turn, place special emphasis on fostering socially responsible and environmentally active young individuals.
Moreover, to enhance the environmental knowledge of young people and support their professional development, we created the COP29 Academy. Held from July 22 to September 1, the Academy provided intensive training and development programs to 29 selected young participants, equipping them with comprehensive knowledge. Attendees not only learned soft skills such as stress management, conflict resolution, leadership, and teamwork but also deepened their practical knowledge by participating in presentation sessions across various departments - sustainability, media operations, transport, etc.
Then, the participants passed a trial period in their selected departments, applying their theoretical knowledge in practice. This practical phase allowed young people to develop their skills in a real work environment and gave them the opportunity to actively participate in future environmental projects. As a result, the Academy's attendees were recruited as staff members in various departments of the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company.
- What is the key objective of volunteers at COP29? What will be their primary activity?
We cannot imagine the arrangement of large international events without the participation of volunteers. As you know, COP29 is a world-class event, and the involvement of youth in such events is crucial for their future development. Our volunteers have the opportunity to engage directly in the arrangement of the event, working alongside professionals in various fields within the same teams. Of course, creating such an opportunity for young people at the start of their careers is vital for their personal and professional growth. It is no coincidence that many young people previously recruited and trained by our team are now acting as professionals in different sectors, which is a tangible indicator of the efficiency of our work.
At COP29, our volunteers will work side by side with us in managing relations with guests, as well as coordinating interaction with staff and UN representatives. I would also like to note that our volunteers have already started working at the Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Center launched in October 19, assisting us in distributing uniforms and accreditations to the various teams involved in COP29.
- How many people are currently involved in the COP29 volunteer program? What were the basic criteria for their selection?
We are proud to announce that we beat a record with the COP29 volunteer program, as with previous events our team has been involved in. Just 24 hours after opening registration on May 29, more than 9,000 people applied for the COP29 Volunteer Program. The total number of applicants exceeded 16,000. In the planning phase, it was decided to recruit 3,000 volunteers for the event. Of course, to reach the planned figure and efficiently prepare the volunteers, we implemented several selection stages. The first of the four selection stages was verifying the applicant registrations. From this first stage, 10,000 successful applicants were invited for interviews. During the interview stage, we paid special attention to the motivation, foreign language skills, and teamwork abilities of the volunteers. Considering the specific requirements of some volunteer positions, we, definitely, also evaluated their experience in appropriate fields. Those who successfully passed the interview were invited to General and Role-specific training sessions. At the training stage, volunteers were first selected by the HR staff and then by the teams from different departments where they would be assigned.
- What kind of training do volunteers receive as part of the preparation for COP29, and how are you preparing them for the event?
As mentioned, COP29 is a world-class event. In preparation for this event, we placed great emphasis on the training of our volunteers. Along with fundamental General and Role-specific training sessions arranged by us, our volunteers also participated in various sessions on sustainability and personal development. Through training and workshops, they acquired valuable knowledge and information on topics such as Leadership, Communication Skills, Environmental and Social Sustainability, Accessibility, etc. Our team also arranged training in resilience via the E-learning online learning platform for not only our volunteers and staff but also the entire society. We believe that acquiring important information on sustainability is crucial for everyone. The training we performed for the volunteers was also significant in terms of their selection since in each session, our team evaluated the participants with the key goal of selecting the best ones for assignments to different departments.
- Have you used the experience of the volunteer program from the previous COP event? What experience do you think Azerbaijan will pass on to future COP events in this regard?
As you know, COP is an annual global event held in different countries. In the planning phase, we studied the experience of previous events. We held discussions with our UN colleagues regarding the work volunteers performed at past events and learned about their expectations of volunteers. As you know, volunteering is highly developed in Azerbaijan, and our approach and experience with volunteers sparked great interest among our foreign colleagues. Thus, our team implemented a volunteer program that had never been used before at any COP event. Special attention was paid to the personal and professional development of the volunteers, and they were professionally trained for the event. Our volunteers also participated in various environmental events and training sessions, which were crucial steps for their personal development and social responsibility. One of the other important aspects that set us apart was the existence of the COP29 Volunteer Center. All volunteering-related operations were managed directly from this center. We can confidently say that the COP29 Volunteer Program set new standards in this field, and future COP events will benefit from the legacy of Azerbaijan’s volunteer program.
