We’ll take account of problems, needs of developing countries – COP29 President

Azerbaijan, this year’s host of the UN Climate Change Conference also known as Conference of Parties (COP29), has assured that the problems and needs of developing countries will be put at the forefront of discussions at the climate change annual event.

COP29 President-Designate and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology, Mukthtar Babayev, said this during an interview with Daily Trust in Baku, the capital of the country ahead of the global climate change event scheduled to take place from November 11 to 22, 2024.

“For our case we will like to put the developing countries problems, vulnerabilities and especially the issues of the financial support to least developed countries to provide action agenda,” he said, adding that though it will be a good chance for Baku to provide all necessary platforms and conditions for debate, at the same time, it has the task to put the issues of developing and vulnerable countries at the forefront of discussions.

Babayev said it is important that Azerbaijan provides the chance for continuity of the decisions of the previous COPs especially important topics such as climate finance and how the countries can provide the necessary activities on mitigation and adaptation.

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Daily Trust reports that the main subject of COP29 is climate finance and parties are expected to come together and agree on the next finance goal.

“Baku has a great chance to bridge the gap between developing and developed countries. Baku is the inter-connector between the global south and north, between east and west,” Babayev said adding that “I think in Baku we have a good opportunity to bring all countries together with international financial institutes, specifically private sector and to increase our ambition in financing of the climate agenda.”

He said Azerbaijan has a very motivated team and is optimistic that all countries will enhance ambition and enable action so as to agree on the very important issues.

Also, the Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29, Nigar Arpadarai whose role is to serve as a bridge between the parties and non party state actors such as private sector, civil society as well as philanthropy organizations said special attention is needed for regions like Africa where the impact of climate change affects vulnerable communities.

Arpadarai said when discussing climate financing and all the other commitments, the parties need to take into consideration the urgency and the scale of the problem and the needs of the developing world.

“We need to make sure that we have a special kind of attention to them. Africa is definitely one of the most important continents suffering from the impact of climate change and in that sense, advocacy is very important and bringing finance resources and finance architecture in that way when we are supporting the most vulnerable countries is the most important thing we are expected to see,” she said.