COP29

2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference

2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Yearly conference held for climate change treaty negotiations

The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29, will be the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference. COP29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.[1] Mukhtar Babayev will preside COP29.[1][2]

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COP29 climate committee

President of COP29

Azerbaijan appointed Mukhtar Babayev as COP29 president in March 2024.[3] Mukhtar Babayev is the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Republic and the former Vice President for Ecology of SOCAR, Azerbaijan's national oil company.[4]

Changes in committee

The conference's committee originally consisted of 28 men. After criticism voiced by the Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and others, another two men and eleven women were added to the panel.[5][6]

Background of climate conferences in Azerbaijan

In 2018, oikos Baku - a student led organization - organized model COP23.5, an extended version of Model UN for UNFCCC to train climate change leaders in Azerbaijan.[7][8]

oikos Baku model COP23.5 poster

Over 30 delegates attended and represented different countries in the deliberation process of COP23.5.[9]

Criticism

The decision to host COP29 in Azerbaijan was criticized by human rights activists and political analysts due to Azerbaijan's human rights abuses.[10][11][12] Michael Rubin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and ex-Pentagon official wrote that Azerbaijan's victory in securing its bid to host COP may backfire: "Caviar diplomacy and PR-firm messaging may sway the naïve, ignorant, or easily bought, but a light will also shine on the country's rentierism, corruption, and abuses."[13]

Stephan Pechdimaldji, a communications strategist, wrote that "when attendees attend COP29 in Baku, they will also be visiting an area known to be 'the ecologically most devasted area in the world' by local scientists.[14][15] Simon Maghakyan in a Time article, describes Azerbaijan as "a repressive petro-aggressor" whose false environmentalism "make[s] a mockery of the existential crisis we face as a species" and "undermin[es] the credibility of what is likely the most important cause in the world."[16] According to the US government's International Trade Administration, oil and gas production comprise half of Azerbaijan's GDP and 92.5% of its export revenue in 2022.[17]

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that she will not attend COP29 in Baku, citing the involvement of the Azerbaijani government in the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023.[18]

Reception and Ideation

In the run up to the COP29 meeting, ministers of the Commonwealth have called for collective action on the oceans and to focus on its management.[19]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Gayle, Damien (2024-01-05). "Oil industry veteran to lead next round of Cop climate change summit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  2. [2]
    "Climate change: Former oil executive Mukhtar Babayev to lead COP29 talks in Azerbaijan". 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  3. [3]
    Babayev, Mukhtar (2024-03-12). "As Cop29 president, I will build bridges between the diverging north and south to keep 1.5C in reach". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  4. [4]
    Lo, Joe (2024-01-04). "Azerbaijan appoint state oil company veteran as Cop29 president". Climate Home News. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  5. [5]
    Hughes, Rebecca Ann (2024-01-17). "Azerbaijan's COP29 committee comprises 28 men and no women". Euro News. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  6. [6]
    Carrington, Damian (2024-01-19). "Women added to Cop29 climate summit committee after backlash". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  7. [7]
    Lalayev, Nurlan (2023-12-12). "COP again in Baku after 6 years". Twitter. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  8. [8]
    oikos International (2018-05-02). "oikos Baku COP23.5 announced". oikos International. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  9. [9]
    oikos Baku (2018-08-02). "oikos Baku COP23.5 photos". Facebook post. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  10. [10]
    Aghayev, Anna Edgar, Ismi (2023-12-13). "Controversy as COP29 to be held in Azerbaijan". OC Media. Retrieved 2024-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. [11]
    "If Azerbaijan Wants Peace, It Should Share COP29". American Enterprise Institute - AEI. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  12. [12]
    "AND IN OTHER NEWS: Azerbaijan Begins "Greenwashing" Through COP29". Civilnet. 2024-01-03.
  13. [13]
    "If Azerbaijan Wants Peace, It Should Share COP29". American Enterprise Institute - AEI. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  14. [14]
    professional, Stephan Pechdimaldji public relations (2023-12-20). "Blood and Oil—How Azerbaijan Greenwashes Its Human Rights Record". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  15. [15]
    "Azerbaijan", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2024-01-17, retrieved 2024-01-19
  16. [16]
    "Azerbaijan Weaponized Environmentalism for Ethnic Cleansing". TIME. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  17. [17]
    Harvey, Fiona; Greenfield, Patrick; Carrington, Damian (2023-12-09). "Azerbaijan chosen to host Cop29 after fraught negotiations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  18. [18]
    "Paris Mayor says will not attend COP29 in Baku". Public Radio of Armenia. 2024-03-21.
  19. [19]
    "Ministers call for collective ocean action ahead of CHOGM and COP29". Commonwealth. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
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