BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 16. The opening of the Parliamentary Meeting within the framework of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Azerbaijani Parliament, took place in Baku, Trend reports.
The following sessions are being held during the meeting: "Setting the scene: understanding the real impact of climate change ", "Making climate commitments a reality: parliaments' role in raising mitigation ambition and implementing nationally determined contributions", "Unpacking the global climate finance architecture: mobilizing resources and streamlining access to climate finance," and "Enhancing resilience in the face of climate change: scaling up adaptation and strengthening local empowerment".
The event is attended by IPU President Tulia Ackson, Speaker of the Parliament (Milli Majlis) of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, as well as IPU Vice President from Azerbaijan, MP Sevil Mikayilova.
Addressing the event, the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova said that Azerbaijan has put climate action into the heart of its national plans much before being elected as the host of COP29.
"All countries in the world are being affected by climate change. Our country is no exclusion. During last decades Azerbaijan faced extreme heat, water shortages, the shrinking of the Caspian Sea and flooding. Realizing and anticipating the depth of the challenge, Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev has put climate action into the heart of its national plans much before being elected as the host of COP29," she said.
The parliament speaker pointed out that, by undertaking voluntary commitments, incorporating green agenda into national development programs, implementing projects on renewable energy, establishing green energy zones, Azerbaijan has shown clear conviction and determination on its future path.
At the same time, selection of Azerbaijan as the host of COP29 is also the result of the trust of world community in Azerbaijan’s ability and experience in acting as a bridge-builder, uniting communities and countries behind a common cause.
Despite having less time than any other country for preparations – only 11 months – COP29 Azerbaijani Presidency has done tremendous work in engaging all interested parties, listening to their needs and understanding their expectations. But, unfortunately, during these preparations, our country has faced biased and groundless accusations, double standards, and disinformation campaigns by some countries and media platforms. Few national parliaments and inter-parliamentary organizations have also played their miserable role in these activities," Gafarova noted.
The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Tulia Ackson said that parliamentarians bear the responsibility for the fight against climate change.
“Parliamentarians bear a significant responsibility for the fight against climate change, especially at the critical stage of climate action, connecting international agreements with their national implementation. With the power to draft and oversee legislation, we ensure that climate policies and laws are ambitious, practical, and enforceable.
We are in a unique position to monitor government action, allocate resources effectively, and mobilize public support, making climate action a priority at all levels. COP29 plays an important role by advancing the key areas needed to achieve our shared climate goals,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Stiell said that the implementation of climate action is lagging behind the required pace.
“Parliaments serve as an important channel for citizens to express their views and ensure that they are reflected in government policies and actions. Fighting climate change is one of the most pressing and urgent issues for all people on the planet.
When your parties are in power, you can be leaders, initiating concrete steps that make a real difference in people's lives,” he said.
Stiell noted that the global community must move from incremental steps to decisive action in the fight to preserve the conditions of life on the planet. Recent reports have shown that climate action is lagging behind the necessary pace. The planet is projected to warm by 2.6 to 3.1 degrees Celsius - too far from the targeted 1.5 degrees needed to avoid the most dangerous consequences.
“The situation will only get worse if we do not reduce the gap between the current pace and the demands that science is making.
Some of this gap can be bridged by increasing ambition. We need more ambitious plans and policies that allow people to act with greater ambition. However, ambition alone is not enough; we need to close the ambition gap. Plans cannot stay on paper; they must lead to real change. Each country is obliged to strengthen its efforts,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Senate of Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva congratulated Azerbaijan on organization of COP29 at high level.
Narbayeva noted that climate change financing is one of the key issues.
“High-level contacts should be established between the parliaments. We should support joint research and share experiences. We, as parliaments, should have broad discussions,” she emphasized.
The meeting continued with panel discussions.
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