The statement reads: “The COP29 NGO Coalition, uniting nearly 500 civil society organizations from over 100 countries, congratulates the Azerbaijani state on the high-level organization of COP29. Under Azerbaijan's COP29 Presidency, the adoption of crucial decisions such as the establishment of new climate finance mechanisms and the operationalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, launching the Loss and Damage Fund are considered a significant achievement.

84% of the COP29 NGO Coalition members represent civil society from the least developed and developing countries. Naturally, we would have preferred the financial amount reflected in the document on new climate finance to be higher. However, we understand the challenges and intense negotiations that were required to reach this collective decision involving 198 parties with diverse perspectives. We believe that achieving this agreement is the result of collective efforts and marks a historic moment for Baku. We are confident that the call for increased funding included in the document will serve as a crucial reference point for future negotiations within the COP process.

We will continue to work hard on strengthening climate action in the post-COP29 period, benefit from the legacy of COP29 and spare no effort to continue the strategic line in this direction.”

The COP29 NGO Coalition was established through the initiative of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum this summer. The number of those joining the Coalition markedly increased during COP29, including some organizations with a special observer status at COP. Through this Coalition, Azerbaijan has forged an inclusive environment for NGOs in the Global South that have the opportunity to participate in COP29 and those that don’t have this opportunity. The COP29 NGO Coalition holds hybrid meetings on a regular basis. It is also clear from the statement that the Coalition will continue to be active in the post-COP29 period too.

In general, the initiatives of Azerbaijani NGOs have recently been receiving strong support of their foreign counterparts. On 15 November 2024, an international conference on South-South cooperation of NGOs from the Non-Aligned Movement countries was held at the initiative of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum on the sidelines of COP29. At the end of the international conference, NGOs representing the Non-Aligned Movement countries agreed on the text of a joint statement on the role of NGOs in the development of climate action through South-South cooperation. The statement circulated among civil society institutions represented at COP29 was signed by a total of 1,023 NGO representatives and public activists from 137 countries. It should be noted that it was the first time in the history of the country's NGOs that civil society institutions from regions covering 71 percent of the world had expressed support for the initiative of Azerbaijani NGOs.”

Ramil Iskandarli, the Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum, said that the policy pursued by the Azerbaijani state is met with great approval and respect in the Global South, as the country is gradually becoming a vocal player of the Global South. We believe that the time has come to establish a Global South NGO Platform.

AzVision.az

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