WHO chief hails COP29 success: Progress made despite difficult negotiations

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the achievements made at the COP29 climate conference, emphasizing the significant progress reached through the collective efforts of participating countries, despite the challenging negotiations.

He made these remarks during his speech at the opening of the XII Global Baku Forum, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“I am honoured to be in Baku once again. I thank you for the invitation. I was here during COP29, and we all know that the negotiations were not easy. However, the countries' willingness to dialogue and find solutions made it possible to achieve success. Yes, it was not easy, but it was possible,” Ghebreyesus stated.

The WHO chief stressed that multilateral dialogue is crucial in addressing global challenges, particularly climate change, which directly influences the spread of diseases. He reaffirmed that the WHO continues to tackle these health issues exacerbated by climate impacts.

Ghebreyesus also addressed the U.S. decision to withdraw from the WHO, calling it a “wrong decision” with potential negative consequences for international health cooperation. He cautioned that such a move could undermine global healthcare efforts that require collective action.

The 12th Global Baku Forum, organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, is being held from March 13-15, 2025, in Baku. The event brings together over 400 influential global figures, including current and former heads of state, ministers, Nobel laureates, and experts, who are discussing critical issues such as multilateral diplomacy, global governance, and post-conflict reconstruction. The forum’s theme, “Rethinking the World Order: Turning Challenges into Opportunities,” reflects the ongoing dialogue on reshaping international relations in response to the world’s most pressing challenges.

COP29, which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024, represented a pivotal moment in the global climate response. The conference drew around 70,000 participants, including political leaders, environmental experts, and representatives from the private sector and civil society. One of the major achievements of COP29 was the introduction of the Baku Finance Goal (BFG), a groundbreaking commitment to channel $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance to developing nations. This initiative aims to triple the previous climate finance target and is seen as a critical step toward supporting developing countries in addressing climate challenges.

The BFG includes a pledge by developed countries to allocate at least $300 billion annually for climate projects in developing nations, significantly boosting global investments to tackle climate change. This financial commitment is expected to play a key role in accelerating global efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

By Tamilla Hasanova