Azerbaijan commits to supporting African nations in advancing climate diplomacy PHOTO

During a high-level event titled “Baku Hub Partnership: Innovative Solutions for Conflict-Affected and Vulnerable Countries” held at the United Nations Headquarters, jointly organized by the COP29 Presidency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Azerbaijan affirmed support for African countries by fostering partnerships aimed at addressing climate challenges in conflict-affected and vulnerable regions.

The gathering brought together numerous government officials, senior representatives of UN agencies, and delegates from international organizations, highlighting growing global engagement with the Baku Hub initiative, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Opening remarks were delivered by COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, Executive Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation Marco Rusconi, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the African Union Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, and IOM Deputy Director-General Ugochi Daniels. The speakers commended the establishment of the Baku Hub—an Azerbaijani-led initiative—as a transformative development in global climate diplomacy. They emphasized that the Hub provides a unique, results-oriented platform that integrates climate action, peacebuilding, and migration governance into a cohesive agenda aimed at addressing the needs of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Environment ministers from Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, and Uganda offered insights into how Baku Hub partnerships are supporting urgent climate and resilience-building projects in their respective countries. They expressed their appreciation to Azerbaijan for sharing its expertise and leadership in climate diplomacy.

Outlining the Hub’s forward-looking agenda, Ambassador-at-Large Elshad Isgandarov of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the initiative is transitioning into a practical phase of on-the-ground project implementation. To facilitate this next step, a Memorandum of Understanding was endorsed during the event, establishing Joint Working Groups between the Baku Hub and the governments of Chad and Guinea-Bissau.

Several other nations also declared their intention to join the Baku Hub partnership, signaling growing momentum behind the platform as an inclusive and action-oriented vehicle for climate resilience in fragile contexts.

By Vafa Guliyeva