XXIX High-Level Meeting: Pathway to COP29: Sustainable and Resilient Future

Nizami Ganjavi International Center organized a High-Level Meeting titled "Pathway to COP29: Sustainable and Resilient Future." The event was held as part of preparations for COP29. 

The meeting was organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center. The opening ceremony moderated by Ismail Serageldin, Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, opened by Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, reading a message from President H.E. Ilham Aliyev. The President's message highlighted the Nizami Ganjavi International Center's rapid rise to prominence as a leading international institution and praised its initiatives and new approaches to addressing global issues. The message emphasized that climate change has long been one of the most critical and prioritized issues on the global agenda: "The climate crisis and its impacts not only hinder the sustainable development and prosperity of countries but also significantly affect the daily lives and lifestyles of ordinary people." It was noted that, despite significant steps taken by the global community to address global warming, new challenges and increasingly serious threats remain. Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev emphasized Azerbaijan’s commitment to presenting COP29 in an inclusive, transparent, and fair manner, and the importance of hearing all views and finding common solutions for climate change. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, noted that the goal of the High-Level Meeting was to discuss key issues in the fight against climate change. She stated that the success of COP29 would not only be Azerbaijan’s success and emphasized that COP29 aims to establish peace between humanity and nature. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Director of CGIAR, highlighted the importance of the issues to be discussed at COP29 for finding solutions to climate problems. 

The event also featured video messages from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS; former President of Finland, Tarja Halonen; Najat Mokhtar, Deputy Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who shared their views on climate change and the importance of united efforts. On the first day, three panels discussed "Status review of the challenge," "Balancing, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience," and "Climate change and its connections to water, biodiversity, and food security." On the second day of the event, panel discussions focused on “The role of science, technology, and innovation in climate change”, “The situation in the food and agriculture sectors”, Financing Our response to Climate Change and the SDGs”, “One Health, One Planet: Uniting for a Sustainable Future”. 

On the final day of the 29th High-Level Meeting on “Pathway to COP29” held in Zangilan, one of the historical and cultural villages of Karabakh. The first panel, moderated by Ismail Serageldin, Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, focused on "Lessons from Azerbaijan's Experience." Vahid Hajiyev, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the Jabrayil, Qubadli, and Zangilan districts in the East Zangazur Economic Region, reported that previous sessions had involved extensive discussions on various aspects of climate change and solutions for this global problem. He noted the historic significance of discussing Azerbaijan's experience and ongoing efforts towards sustainable development in Karabakh and East Zangazur, as well as highlighting Azerbaijan's achievements in combating climate change and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Faig Mutallimov, Head of the Department at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, emphasized Azerbaijan’s particular sensitivity to climate change. Former Prime Minister of Malta and Member of NGIC, Joseph Muscat pointed out that a transforming economy in the region relies increasingly on renewable resources and expressed confidence that the ideas discussed would be successfully implemented by Azerbaijan. 

The second panel in Zangilan addressed "Policy: Involvement of Lobbyists, Youth, Women’s Groups, Activists, and the Public." This panel was moderated by Zlatko Lagumdza, former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speakers included Mehri Hüseynli, Public Relations Manager of NGIC; Leyla Hasanova, COP29 Youth Climate Champion; Parvana Valiyeva, member of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum Board and COP29 Organizing Committee; and NGIC Young Leaders Manas Chawla from UK, Klau Chmielowska from Poland, Chengkai Xie from China and Noel Jackson from India, who addressed important issues related to global climate change. Participants were also informed about the "Smart Village" project, noting that the first "Smart Village" project was initiated by President Ilham Aliyev in April 2021. The "Smart Village" project led to rapid development in Agali village, with residents returning to their homes as part of the Great Return Program.