Deputy FM brings Azerbaijan’s climate resilience, heritage protection into focus At UN events in New York

Azerbaijan has reaffirmed its commitment to international cooperation on climate resilience, sustainable development and the protection of cultural heritage, while offering technical assistance to small island developing states, Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev said.

Speaking at a series of high-level UN events in New York on the third day of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Deputy FM outlined Azerbaijan’s initiatives and priorities on these and other global issues, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Foreign Ministry.

On the third day of #UNGA 81, Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev attended and delivered speeches/remarks at several UN official and side events:

☑️At the High-Level Breakfast Event on Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor (#BCRUP) Programme, he engaged in… pic.twitter.com/1UEgBoYASI

— MFA Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 (@AzerbaijanMFA) September 24, 2026

At a high-level breakfast dedicated to the “Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor” (BCRUP) program, Rafiyev participated in interactive discussions, highlighting how the outcomes of WUF13 and the Baku Call to Action link housing issues with land resources, basic services and inclusive green jobs.

At an event organised by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry titled “From island heritage to the World heritage: Azerbaijan’s International Technical Assistance Programme for Small Island Developing States (SIDS),” Rafiyev emphasised the importance of international cooperation and capacity-building to protect the cultural and natural heritage of SIDS amid growing climate and environmental threats.

He also announced Azerbaijan’s readiness to provide annual technical assistance to three small island developing states in preparing their tentative lists for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

At a high-level UN meeting marking the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, Rafiyev spoke about Azerbaijan’s global initiatives to promote the right to development and expressed support for ongoing efforts to develop a legally binding international instrument.

At a high-level event on combating climate change and ensuring a just transition, convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Rafiyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s updated emissions-reduction targets and stressed the importance of fulfilling climate-finance commitments adopted at COP29 in Baku.

By Jeyhun Aghazada