Baku, October 22, AZERTAC

The Temporary Commission of the Milli Majlis on Foreign Interventions and Hybrid Threats held a public discussion themed ‘Hybrid Threats Against COP29’ on October 21. Attendees included members of the Milli Majlis, representatives of think tanks, civil society representatives, experts, and Rustam Mahmudov, the Deputy Head of the Parliamentary Staff.

The Temporary Commission Chairman, Ramid Namazov, opened the meeting and stated that the event had been organized as instructed by Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. He remarked that following Azerbaijan's historic victory in the 44-day Patriotic War and the complete restoration of sovereignty last year under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, certain foreign circles that cannot accept this have begun to reconsider their insidious plans against the state. The Commission Chairman emphasized that the Milli Majlis has consistently supported the policies implemented by President Ilham Aliyev for the development and security of the country and will continue to do so. At the same time, the Milli Majlis demonstrates determination in combating threats against the Azerbaijani people, the integrity of the state and its laws, national and moral values, international reputation, and other critical areas within its authority.

It was pointed out that Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), along with the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, all in November this year. A noticeable increase in smear and media campaigns targeting Azerbaijan has been observed as the time for one of the largest and most significant international conferences approaches.

The primary aim of today’s public discussion is to inform the national community about the current processes, the origins, and the forms of the vile campaigns directed against the state and the individuals behind them. It is intended to foster an exchange of ideas regarding this issue among MPs, civil society representatives, and experts.

Ramid Namazov also stated that two primary types of hybrid threats are actively employed against Azerbaijan concerning COP29. The first type involves disinformation, encompassing media and smear campaigns as well as the dissemination of fake news. The second type, known as ‘Lawfare,’ involves the use of legal tools as weapons. This category includes anti-Azerbaijani resolutions passed in various parliaments, unfounded international court claims, and sanctions.

Immediately after nearly 200 countries unanimously awarded Azerbaijan the right to host COP29, certain forces launched a campaign against the country in the international media, citing various pretexts. Baseless accusations were made; for instance, questions were raised such as, ‘Why should an oil country host a UN climate conference?’ and claims about ‘the absence of women in the COP29 Organizing Committee,’ ‘human rights,’ and ‘the peace agreement with Armenia’ were circulated.

The Commission Chairman said that UN Member States must refrain from using threats or force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, as well as from any actions that are inconsistent with the purposes of the UN, according to the UN Charter. He pointed out that the underhanded campaigns led by Armenia and certain countries supporting it are contrary to international law. He further stated that those states have formed various international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), provided financial and political support to them, and then used them to attack other states on various topics, issue statements, and threaten with sanctions to undermine their international reputation.

Ramid Namazov pointed out that recently, 60 US Congress members urged their Secretary of State to apply pressure on Azerbaijan. He stressed that the responses from the Azerbaijani President had been robust and well-argued. Additionally, he mentioned that both the Azerbaijani public and the Milli Majlis had voiced their positions regarding that provocation. Namazov also brought up the recent anti-Azerbaijan resolutions passed by the Dutch Parliament in support of the actions of the US Congress. He emphasized that deliberations within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) concerning human rights, the rule of law, and democracy in Azerbaijan lack legitimate grounds. He highlighted the formation of various coalitions aimed at undermining Azerbaijan, noting that social media platforms have been exploited to circulate distorted information and biased narratives, creating confusion among the public and imposing unjustified demands.

The National Endowment for Democracy, which is fully funded by the US Congress, along with organizations such as Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, the World Organization Against Torture, Amnesty International, and the International Human Rights Cooperation Organization, are spreading biased and inaccurate information about Azerbaijan. Their aim is to achieve strategic objectives by subtly influencing the minds of ordinary people through hybrid threats against the country. It was noted that the goal of all these reprehensible actions is to stoke anti-Azerbaijani sentiment at a time when only a few days remain until COP29, exerting pressure by tarnishing the country’s name.

Another dimension of the campaign targeting Azerbaijan is being spearheaded by the Armenian state, Armenian lobby organizations, and wealthy Armenian businesspeople. Although Armenia has formally consented to the hosting of the COP29 event in Azerbaijan, it has consistently engaged in counterpropaganda against the country behind the scenes across all platforms. They raise issues unrelated to the climate conference and, in doing so, fan artificial tensions, attempting to harm Azerbaijan's international standing. Currently, a new thesis has emerged, claiming that Azerbaijan intends to use COP29 to legitimize future escalations against Armenia.

Next, the speaker emphasized that hosting large-scale international events places a significant responsibility on the country. Azerbaijan, which has successfully hosted many international events to date, will also ensure that the COP29 international conference is held at a high level despite all the aforementioned malicious intents, marking yet another great achievement for the people.

MPs Gulshan Pashayeva, Sevil Mikayilova, Parvana Valiyeva, Mubariz Gurbanli, Elman Nasirov, Nurlan Hasanov, and Kamran Bayramov, as well as Deputy Executive Director of the Media Development Agency Natig Mammadli, Department Head from the Centre for the Analysis of International Relations Javid Valiyev, and a Sector Head from the Social Research Centre Ilyas Huseynov took the floor next. They underscored the relevance of the topic at hand and discussed the importance of taking significant steps to combat foreign interventions and certain foreign countries’ demonstrably biased stances on the country.

It was mentioned that the hybrid threats against Azerbaijan, including the dissemination of hostile information, cyberattacks, and smear campaigns via social networks, are of great security importance. They emphasized the need for practical steps to counter these negative influences, especially with the increasing threats related to COP29. The discussion focused on the necessity of improving legislation, informing the public about the efforts related to the organization of COP29, bolstering the activity of social media participants regarding this matter, and raising awareness among citizens so they remain vigilant against malicious intentions. Additionally, the significance of enlightenment and propaganda among the population was highlighted.

The participating Department Head from the UNEC Research Fund Ellada Aliyeva, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Cybersecurity Organizations’ Association of Azerbaijan Elvin Balajanov, Chairwoman of the ‘Citizen’ Research and Development Public Association Gunel Safarova, Amin Mammadov, Chairman of the Public Council under the aegis of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and Member of the Governing Board of the Forum of National NGOs of Azerbaijan Zaur Ibrahimli stressed in their respective addresses the perpetual relevance of ideological security matters and the necessity of manifesting solidarity in that realm. The speakers shared their ideas on preventing unwarranted threats and baseless disinformation directed at Azerbaijan, discussing the implementation of comprehensive measures in this area and voicing their proposals.

As the event drew to a close, Chairman of the Temporary Commission on Foreign Interventions and Hybrid Threats Ramid Namazov expressed confidence that constructive discussions had taken place around the topic and would yield results. He also assured that COP29, hosted by Azerbaijan, would mark another success for the country.