BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan’s chairmanship demonstrated that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an effective platform capable of contributing to the development of multifaceted regional cooperation, said Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Trend reports.
Speaking at the panel discussion titled “Crisis of Multilateralism: Rethinking Global Cooperation” within the framework of the 13th Global Baku Forum, Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijan is a strong supporter of multilateralism because it is important for small and medium-sized countries, adding that it ensures equality.
"Additionally, it grants countries a voice at the negotiating table, enabling them to contribute to the shaping of both global and regional decisions. It also allows us to play a role in influencing the broader international landscape. I believe that when discussing the crisis of multilateralism, a more nuanced and diversified approach to the agenda is required. If we examine multilateralism through the broader framework of United Nations terminology, the first pillar concerns peace and security. It is precisely in this domain that the most acute challenges and shortcomings are evident. However, multilateralism also encompasses other spheres, including social, economic, technical, and humanitarian cooperation. In these areas, it is possible to point to several tangible success stories,” he elaborated.
Hajiyev emphasized that the first section, peace and security, is largely related to the activities and mandate of the United Nations Security Council.
“There are problems here related to the undemocratic and insufficiently representative structure of the UN Security Council, as well as a lack of global consensus and cooperation and increasing fragmentation,” Hajiyev said.
According to him, as a result, the UN Security Council currently has very limited capacity to act on global peace and security issues.
Hajiyev also recalled that when Azerbaijan joined the Non-Aligned Movement, some critics described the organization as outdated and no longer relevant.
“However, Azerbaijan’s chairmanship in 2019-2022 demonstrated that the Non-Aligned Movement is a vibrant and effective platform capable of contributing to the development of multifaceted regional cooperation. The COVID-19 pandemic also served as a test of this,” he said.
He added that Azerbaijan’s active engagement has continued within other multilateral platforms as well, including climate diplomacy and its presidency of COP29.
“Although this was a new challenge for Azerbaijan, we proved that we can ensure effective leadership. Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency contributed to the adoption of important decisions such as the carbon market and the loss and damage fund,” Hajiyev concluded.
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