Azerbaijan hosts informal UN climate negotiators’ meeting ahead of COP31

The third informal meeting of chairs of negotiating groups under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan, on July 22–23.

More than 70 delegates from 34 countries and representatives of the UNFCCC Secretariat attended the meeting, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry told Caliber.Az.

Discussions focused on key issues on the international climate negotiations agenda, including climate finance, adaptation to the impacts of climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Participants also discussed priorities for the COP31 agenda.

Speakers included Yalchin Rafiyev, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator for COP29; Fatma Varank, CEO of COP31 and Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change; and Sally Box, Vice-President of COP31.

The opening ceremony featured video messages from Mukhtar Babayev, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues, and Ana Toni, CEO of COP30 and National Secretary of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

By Sabina Mammadli