UN chief Guterres to attend COP29 summit in Baku

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is preparing for his upcoming visit to Baku, where he will attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

This information was confirmed by UN Deputy Spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

"The Secretary-General will participate in the opening of the event," Soto Nino said.

She added that after taking part in high-level discussions and activities at COP29, Guterres is expected to embark on another trip.

"Following this, he will return to Baku to participate in the closing ceremony of COP29," Soto Nino explained.

Set to take place this November, the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) will mark a significant milestone for Azerbaijan as it takes on the presidency of this crucial climate summit. The COP presidency rotates among the five recognised UN regions, and the event is expected to draw between 70,000 and 80,000 international participants. Baku Stadium has been chosen as the venue, underscoring Azerbaijan's capability to host large-scale global gatherings.

Notably, Azerbaijan’s presidency of COP29 is dedicated to ensuring a transparent, impartial, and inclusive process, underpinned by a detailed strategy centred around two interconnected pillars: boosting ambition and facilitating decisive action to address the pressing challenges of climate change.

The decision to host COP29 in Azerbaijan was made during the COP28 plenary session in Dubai on 11th December 2023. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, with the aim of preventing harmful human impact on the climate.

The term COP, or "Conference of the Parties," refers to the highest decision-making body overseeing the implementation of the UNFCCC, which consists of 198 member states. COP meetings are generally held annually, with the first COP convened in Berlin in March 1995. The UNFCCC secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany.

By Aghakazim Guliyev