As part of the Simulation Conference of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) underway in Khankendi, the signing of the Khankendi Youth Pact is planned.
As previously reported, the COP Simulation Conference began on April 26 at Garabakh University in the city of Khankendi. The event is jointly organized by the Youth Organization of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAMYO) and the Eurasian Regional Center of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum.
The opening ceremony gathered 60 young representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Science and Education, leading universities of the country, as well as participants from various nations. Speeches were delivered by Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and COP29 Lead Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev, Head of the Ministry of Science and Education’s Administration Metin Kerimli, Rector of Garabakh University Shahin Bayramov, Chairperson of NAMYO and COP29 Youth Climate Champion Leyla Hasanova, and Director of the Eurasian Regional Center of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum Rafig Ismayilov.
Speakers emphasized the symbolic significance of hosting Azerbaijan’s first national COP29 event in the liberated city of Khankendi, at Garabakh University. They underscored the importance of active youth involvement in global environmental protection and climate change mitigation efforts and discussed the prospects for implementing COP29 decisions, held in November 2024 in Baku, and their contribution to global ecological processes.
Following the opening, a keynote lecture was delivered by Elshad Iskandarov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. He informed the participants about Azerbaijan’s climate and peace initiatives, including the Baku Call on Climate Action for Peace adopted at COP29. He noted that during the occupation, Karabakh suffered environmental degradation and extensive mine contamination, and stressed that Azerbaijan’s resolution of the conflict had paved the way for ecological restoration of this unique natural area of global importance.
Throughout the two-day conference, young participants will work in groups to discuss the effectiveness of climate change efforts in different countries, youth engagement in these processes, the development of alternative energy sources, and the vision of a green world.
As part of the event, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation was signed between the Youth Organization of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Eurasian Regional Center of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum. The signing of the Khankendi Youth Pact is also planned.
