By Dare Akogun
The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum has launched the “COP29 NGO Coalition,” an initiative aimed at fostering global cooperation among NGOs for the upcoming COP29 conference.
The coalition, already comprising 108 foreign NGOs from 30 countries, marks a significant step in the collaboration between local and international NGOs on such a large scale in Azerbaijan.
Ramil Iskandarli, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum, highlighted the enthusiasm from foreign NGOs and the substantial participation from the forum’s members in establishing this cooperation.
“Everyone is trying to contribute to this process as much as possible,” he said.
Iskandarli explained that there are three groups of organizations with observer status at the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): the United Nations System and its Specialized Agencies, Intergovernmental Organizations, and NGOs. Currently, 3631 NGOs have observer status with the UNFCCC, with about 90% united in nine Constituencies, including environmental groups, business and industry, women and gender, research and academic institutions, farming and agriculture, labor unions, youth and children groups, local governments and municipal authorities, and indigenous populations.
The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum aims to establish close cooperation with these nine Constituencies and their Informal Groups.
“Thirty-six NGOs in the COP29 NGO Coalition are members of the Constituencies, and NGOs from five out of the nine Constituencies are included in the Coalition,” Iskandarli noted.
He emphasized that this collaboration ensures inclusivity, with 68 foreign NGOs from developing countries participating in the Coalition.
Iskandarli also discussed the grant competition for NGOs announced by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations.
The competition, titled “International Initiatives related to COP29,” prioritizes partnerships with foreign organizations from developing countries, particularly Least Developed States and Small Island Developing States.
He praised Azerbaijan’s inclusive approach, stating, “Azerbaijan not only speaks words but also offers financial assistance to the states in this category within its capacity.”
Iskandarli also mentioned Azerbaijan’s strong defense of the interests of developing countries during its Chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, which laid the groundwork for these efforts.
In preparation for COP29, the “COP29 NGO Coalition” held a hybrid meeting via Zoom to discuss ideas and explore cooperation opportunities in detail.
The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum plans to prepare an appeal to the COP29 Presidency to organize a meeting of Constituency representatives with the Forum during the “Pre-COP29” event in October in Baku.
“As representatives of the Host Country’s civil society, we want to hear their voices as well. We hope that our appeal will not go unanswered and will produce results,” Iskandarli concluded.
