Baku, November 5, AZERTAC

First day of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders, themed “World Religions for a Green Planet,” held as part of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, concluded in Baku on Tuesday.

Initiated and supported by President Ilham Aliyev, the summit is co-organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Committee on Work with Religious Institutions, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Caucasus Muslims Office, and the United Nations Environment Programme.

First, the Azerbaijani national anthem was played.

Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov opened the event by reading President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the summit participants.

Addressing the Summit, Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, COP29 President-Designate, said: “COP29 Action Agenda seeks to ensure that resources are more accessible to developing countries. Azerbaijan's COP29 Presidency has put forward 14 key initiatives, aiming to propose new approaches and innovative solutions not only at the national level but also on a global scale.”

“Today’s summit is important in terms of bringing together religions and traditions seeking to achieve people’s living in harmony and contributing to the protection of our planet,” he mentioned.

Minister Mukhtar Babayev quoted President Ilham Aliyev as saying: “All the steps Azerbaijan has taken to achieve successful development and stability are underpinned by religious and national tolerance and multicultural values.”

The minister underlined that anthropogenic influences, industrialization and rapid economic growth pose a serious threat to numerous countries by contributing to global temperature rise and related disasters.

“We are witnessing how these threats becoming disasters for communities living in climate-sensitive regions,” Babayev noted.

The minister highlighted the changing rainfall frequency and rising temperatures in the Congo Basin, which are causing significant damage to forests and rare ecosystems. He said that the devastating floods in Pakistan, which submerged one third of the country, as well as the threat of destruction faced by communities in small island developing states once again stress the urgency of the situation.

Minister Mukhtar Babayev stressed the need for immediate and inclusive approaches, placing the challenges faced by these countries at the center of global efforts. The Minister called for a substantial increase in climate finance, commending the COP29 Presidency on supporting activities to address loss and damage.

Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, described the climate change as a hot-button issue, underscoring the importance of COP29 in tackling this burning concern.

Mohamed Abdelsalam, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, said that Azerbaijan’s hosting of Baku Global Summit of Religious Leaders is a pivotal event: “We have taken important steps towards mitigating the negative consequences of climate change by leveraging the role of religious leaders. This is also an indicator of the high level of interfaith dialogue.”

“We appreciate the importance of interfaith dialogue. We have established a platform to amplify our voices by benefiting from our joint efforts. Organizing such global summits stands as a testament to our words and joint actions. Since there is a direct connection between the environment and religions, initiatives are being put forward to address global threats. We cannot be satisfied with our international commitments today. Joint actions are crucial for the future of our planet,” he said.

“The world is currently facing colossal catastrophes. Our religious beliefs are of great power. We do not believe in relativity and individuality. Our actions should be based on building our future,” noted Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

Emphasizing the importance of the event, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti commended the fact that the religious leaders, representatives of various organizations and religions convened to discuss a crucial issue. He said this event is focused on protecting our planet.

"A person should live a decent life. The individual is the fruit of love of the earth. The individual is not a combination of simple chemical elements, but an embodiment of love. We cannot afford to wait, the danger is approaching. What happens to us depends on how we honor our collective commitments. We must protect our humanity, otherwise wars will escalate, driving us towards destruction," he added.

Speakers also included Ali Erbaş, President of Religious Affairs of Türkiye, Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Muzaffar Komilov, Adviser to the Uzbekistani President on issues of religion and inter-ethnic relations, Ravan Hasanov, Executive Director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center (BIMC) and other officials.

The event then proceeded with the panel discussions.

The discussions focused on various topics, including “Perspectives of religions and beliefs on the climate change crisis and its impact on the planet, life, and living resources,” “The role of the religious and faith organizations in promoting green future, raising awareness, and fighting against climate change,” “Fighting against climate change through interreligious and intercivilizational dialogue,” “Armed conflicts, violence, acts of ecocide and urbicide inflict serious damage on global fight against climate change.”

The two-day summit brings together nearly 30 leaders from world and traditional religions, heads of prominent religious centers, including patriarchs, officials from the Vatican and Al-Azhar, and notable religious and public figures from various continents and faiths. Representatives from 55 countries and 30 international organizations are attending, including state, academic, religious figures, and media representatives.