On November 17, the COP29 Presidency has hosted the meeting of COP29 International Advisory Committee (IAC), attended by distinguished guests and members of the Committee.

Discussions were moderated by Jean Baderschneider, Member of the Board of Directors, Fortescue Metals and Fortescue Future Industries, Chair of the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery.

Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, made opening remarks, highlighting the primary expectations and top priorities for negotiations and mandated activities, as well as the importance of COP29 IAC members’ contribution to the second week of the conference.

Elnur Soltanov, Chief Executive Officer of COP29, expressed COP29 Presidency’s commitment to collaboration with IAC in promoting the Presidency’s initiatives and highlighted the significance of ongoing negotiations in determining the success of COP29.

Nigar Arpadarai, COP29 High-Level Climate Champion, underlined the significant role of non-state actors and private sector in achieving climate goals and briefed the members about the major events organized during the first week of the COP29 including the Business, Investment and Philanthropy Climate Platform (BIPCP) which united 1,000 leaders from the business, finance and philanthropic communities to discuss active involvement of the private sector in combatting climate change.

Jala Ibrahimova, COP29 Action Agenda Team Co-Lead briefed the meeting participants about the main outcomes of the Presidency initiatives achieved during the first week of negotiations at COP29 and the way forward on climate cooperation in the second week of COP29.

Leyla Hasanova, Youth Climate Champion for COP29, emphasized the importance of active youth engagement in the COP process and a range of opportunities created for children and youth to contribute to the climate process at COP29.

Members of the International Advisory Committee (IAC), including eminent leaders such as Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Rosen Plevneliev, Joyce Banda, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Hindou Oumaru Ibrahim, Patricia Espinosa, Izabella Teixeira, Ismahane Elouafi, Todd Stern and the guest of honor Tarja Halonen discussed the importance of strategic guidance on engaging with Parties and non-Party stakeholders for promoting effective solutions that would support further developments on NCQG, loss and damage, mitigation and adaptation and other related topics at COP29.

Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), addressed the Committee members via a special video message.

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