The event was held with the organizational support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The session was attended by representatives of UN member states, its subordinate agencies, ambassadors and diplomats. The session was addressed by IOM Director-General Amy Pope, Adviser to the COP29 Presidency Negotiating Group, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elshad Iskandarov, Italy's Special Envoy for Climate Change Francesco Corvaro and Director General of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) of Egypt Ahmed Abdel-Latif.
In his speech, Ambassador Iskandarov stated that one of the priorities of Azerbaijan during the COP29 Presidency is to contribute to international peace and security. This is why, in the run-up to COP29, work is underway with international partners to call for a ceasefire. The diplomat stressed that areas where the world's population is growing suffer from both climate change and conflict, and in this regard, the event organized by Azerbaijan as the chair country of COP29 at the UN headquarters in New York is aimed at providing practical support to countries around the world.
Iskandarov noted that, at the initiative of Azerbaijan, November 15 was declared Peace, Relief and Recovery Day and a number of events will be held in Baku on this occasion. In addition, within COP29, Azerbaijan will create the Baku Climate and Peace Center, which will contribute to the topic of climate change and achieving peace in the future.
Speaking at the session, IOM Director-General Amy Pope highly appreciated the advancement of the peace agenda in the COP process under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan and expressed confidence in achieving concrete results on this issue within the framework of COP29. Pope also spoke about the importance of international assistance to the world's population, especially vulnerable categories, and the importance of taking preventive measures to prevent climate change from leading to conflicts over clean water, air and fertile land in the future.
According to her, World Bank data indicate that if preventive measures are not taken, as a result of ongoing climate change in many regions by 2050, 60 million people may be forced to move and leave their regions of residence as climate migrants. Pope noted that these figures are of grave concern. The meeting included important discussions on issues that identify critical causes of climate-related displacement, such as water scarcity, food security and land degradation. Panelists expressed their views on current challenges and made recommendations.
The session included an exchange of views on exploring a platform for filling the gaps between climate and peace initiatives, strengthening ties through joint action. An exchange of views was also held on Azerbaijan's preparation for COP29.
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