Baku, November 18, AZERTAC

A high-level meeting on “the Baku Initiative on Human Development for Climate Resilience” was held as part of COP29 in Baku.

Organized by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Science and Education, the event is supported by COP29 Presidency, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, UNICEF, the Asian Development Bank and the Green Climate Fund.

The main goal of the joint meeting was to emphasize the importance of investing in human development in ensuring better environmental sustainability.

Vladanka Andreeva, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, stated that the Human Development Day was established for the first time under the COP chairmanship at the initiative of the host country.

COP29 Lead Negotiator, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister noted that investment in human development must begin at an early age to ensure that children and youth are empowered through education, health and skills development.

Speaking about the Baku Initiative for Human Development for Climate Resilience, Yalchin Rafiyev described that this initiative as a natural continuation of the commitment to human-oriented climate action. Yalchin Rafiyev announced the Baku Guiding Principles on human development for climate sustainability, saying that ongoing principles would play a principal role in guiding human development action in climate strategies, promoting an integrated approach in these areas as key drivers of climate action.

Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Education in his address emphasized the significance of preparing " Climate Friend" educational programs to equip future generations with the needed knowledge and skills to address climate concerns.

Sahil Babayev, Azerbaijani Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, said that one of the key priorities of the ministry is to achieve continuous development of workforce skills in line with the changing requirements of the labor market.

Officials of institutions and representatives of international organizations from Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Brazil and other countries also addressed the panel discussions.