COP29 represents unique opportunity to advance environmental agenda Ukrainian minister says

Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svitlana Hrynchuk has said that the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku will mark Ukraine's third participation in this global climate summit.

Hrynchuk made these remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijani ambassador to Ukraine Seymur Mardaliyev, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“Ukraine will have its own pavilion there. COP29 presents a unique opportunity to advance our environmental agenda,” she said.

Hrynchuk emphasised that it is essential for Ukraine not only to showcase its achievements but also to actively participate in partner country initiatives and establish new international connections.

She expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for its support and highlighted Ukraine's preparation for COP29. 

"This includes updating global goals, negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and engaging with new partners and documents. We are committed to leveraging every opportunity at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference for the benefit of Ukraine," she stated.

In turn, Ambassador Mardaliyev stated that Azerbaijan will make every effort at COP29 to strengthen cooperation for a more sustainable and stable world in the fight against climate change. Azerbaijan aims to unite countries globally and promote a spirit of collaboration to address climate challenges, believing that Ukraine will also contribute to this process.

The ambassador further noted that Azerbaijan is ready to assist Ukraine in environmental restoration efforts. Both sides emphasised the importance of collaboration in preparing joint initiatives for COP29. The meeting also addressed other topics of mutual interest. 

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan this November. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary session in Dubai on December 11, 2023. During two weeks, Baku will become a global hub, welcoming around 70,000 to 80,000 international guests. 

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, aimed at preventing dangerous human interference with the climate system. 

The abbreviation COP means "Conference of the Parties" and refers to the highest decision-making body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the UNFCCC. The Convention has 198 member states. Unless otherwise decided by the parties, the COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in Berlin in March 1995, and its secretariat is based in Bonn.

By Naila Huseynova