Official representatives of three nations adopt Baku Communiqué

Governor General Falani Tofinga of Tuvalu, Prime Minister Siaosi Ofakiwahafolau Sovaleni of the Kingdom of Tonga, and Frederick Audley Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, have adopted the Baku Communiqué, per Azertag.

On May 13, official representatives from these three nations, among the most affected by climate change due to their geographical locations, visited Azerbaijan to discuss global climate issues. These discussions included their priorities for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), as reported by AZERTADJ. During their visit, the delegation was received by President Ilham Aliyev who congratulated Azerbaijan on its chairmanship of COP29, expressing support for Azerbaijan's efforts in this significant role.

The communiqué, adopted after the meeting, thanked President Ilham Aliyev for addressing the challenges faced by developing small island states within the framework of the COP29 chairmanship. It expressed confidence that the forthcoming conference would serve as an inclusive, transparent, and neutral platform.

The document highlighted that the unavoidable impacts of climate change pose a direct threat to the Sustainable Development Goals aimed at improving livelihoods, security, and well-being, as well as to the objectives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

The communiqué emphasized the importance of strengthening peace, assistance, and recovery to enhance climate resilience and commended Azerbaijan's inclusive approach to these issues.

Additionally, the communiqué praised the cooperation and dialogue under COP29 with small island states facing an increasing existential threat due to global warming. It called for increased resilience against climate change, urgent global action, and solidarity.