Press release, 22 April 2024: COP29 Preparatory Meetings Convene Top Officials at United Nations Headquarters on Earth Day
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Azərbaycan Respublikasının |
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Permanent Mission |
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633 Third Avenue, Suite 3210, New York, N.Y. 10017 |
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Press release
COP29 Preparatory Meetings Convene Top Officials at United Nations Headquarters on Earth Day
The COP29 leadership team gathered today at the UN Headquarters in New York City for a series of high-level meetings, organised by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to advance preparations for the upcoming global UN climate conference in Baku. COP29 President-Designate Mr. Mukhtar Babayev, alongside Lead Negotiator Mr. Yalchin Rafiyev, CEO Mr. Elnur Soltanov, and High-Level Champion Ms. Nigar Arpadarai, have been conducting a listening and engagement tour that has included the IMF World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington D.C. and the day’s programming at the UN, and will continue at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin. “The entire COP29 leadership team is committed to building the trust and momentum needed to create the conditions for success in November,” said President-Designate Mr. Mukhtar Babayev. “Today’s engagement at the United Nations is another important step in creating that critical foundation.” The COP29 Presidency team met with H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and discussed shared efforts to bring the parties together, ensure all fulfil past promises, and enable action to keep 1.5 ºC within reach while leaving no one behind. Mr. Selwin Hart, UN Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action, led a discussion on key priorities and strategies to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change. Participants emphasized the need for ambitious and coordinated action to mitigate the impacts of climate change and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. Meetings also included a session with H.E. Ms. Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, in which leaders shared valuable perspectives and initiatives aimed at mobilizing global efforts to combat climate change. The day’s programming also featured representatives from Uganda and the European Union, as well as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). “We are committed to understanding and representing the needs and hopes of all Parties, both large and small, developing and developed, continental and island. Today’s programme demonstrates that we will promote an inclusive process where everyone’s voices are heard, and which delivers outcomes based on fair and shared solutions,” said Lead Negotiator Mr. Yalchin Rafiyev. The COP29 leadership team provided UN Member States with a briefing on the ongoing logistical and practical preparations for COP29. The session provided an opportunity for Member States to exchange insights and inputs, fostering collaboration and alignment ahead of the world’s biggest and most important annual climate-related conference. “Azerbaijan is excited to welcome the world to Baku in November. Preparations are well underway for an event that will raise the voices of civil society, NGOs, youth, philanthropy, the private sector, and other observers alongside the official Party negotiations,” said CEO Mr. Elnur Soltanov. Finally, the meetings also included a special session with select climate philanthropies facilitated by Mr. Iain Keith, Executive Director of the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group (CECG). Among others, notable participants included Mr. Michael Northrop of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Ms. Ailun Yang of Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Ms. Maha Eltobgy of the Rockefeller Foundation. Participants reaffirmed their respective organisations’ firm commitments to supporting climate action initiatives. “We need every piece of the climate action ecosystem to play their part to make our shared goals possible. We will continue to engage with philanthropy to support them in going where other actors cannot,” said High-Level Champion Ms. Nigar Arpadarai For more information on COP29 in Azerbaijan, please visit: https://twitter.com/COP29_AZ |
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