Baku, November 6, AZERTAC

Participants of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders, held under the slogan “World Religions for a Green Planet” as part of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, have made an appeal to the COP29 participants.

AZERTAC presents the appeal:

“We, the participants of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders held in Baku under the slogan “World Religions for a Green Planet,” on November 5-6, 2024, express our sincere greetings to the Organizing Committee of COP29 and its participants, extending our blessings and wishing success to this noble event.

The patronage and special attention of His Excellency President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, as well as his meaningful address to the Global Summit of Religious Leaders added significant value to our event. We regard the Baku COP29 Summit as a major success for the people and the state of Azerbaijan, and we applaud the declaration of 2024 as the "Green World Solidarity Year" by President Ilham Aliyev as a valuable global initiative aimed at fostering Human solidarity for the sake of the future of our planet. We appreciate Azerbaijan's commitment to environmental protection and recognize its effective measures in this regard as significant actions toward restoring the divine order on Earth.

Being religious leaders, we are convinced of the great need for the spiritual reform and moral strengthening of Humankind. It is very difficult to achieve success in this area without instilling respect and care for nature and all created beings in people’s hearts, and without promoting the idea of the inviolability and sanctity of the environment. All traditional world religions encourage a spirit of mercy and respect toward the environment and warn of the disastrous trials that may result from neglecting this duty. Being the religious leaders, we consistently remind our audiences that humans are a part of nature and a component of the ecosystem. We emphasize that the most important aspect of ensuring Humankind's existence is living in spiritual harmony with the environment, in accordance with the Creator’s commandments, and adhering to the divine order. We are confident that everyone should utilize their platform to contribute to this common cause, and that our efforts in education, training, and worship should aim to instil these truths in minds and hearts.

Being the religious leaders, we have supported concrete action plans and programs adopted by the previous COP28 Summit to address the ecological crises and threats facing the world, and we expressed our readiness to actively participate in the implementation of relevant directives aimed at mitigating the global climate crisis. We hope that COP29, held in Azerbaijan, will also serve as a useful and effective platform for calls for peace and a global ceasefire. We express our support for the Azerbaijani state’s call for the global ceasefire. The recent historical realities faced by Azerbaijan further demonstrate that the world is still confronted with the clash of constructive and destructive forces. In the face of military crimes, ecological terror, and vandalism, we see in Azerbaijan an exemplary state that addresses the severe consequences of crimes against nature and the environment, conducting restoration work based on the foundations of a green economy powered by alternative energy, and restoring ecological balance in the region. Today, the Azerbaijani state, having restored its territorial integrity, showcases to the world a model for overcoming the dire consequences of ecocide, urbicide, and culturcide.

Being the religious leaders, we believe that it is essential to enhance the joint efforts of political, public, and religious leaders in addressing critical environmental and climate change issues and to strengthen global dialogue. We recommend the spiritual, moral, and ethical aspects to be kept in focus when discussing the political and economic causes of these problems at the COP29 event. We consider it crucial for the efforts of religious leaders to be combined with general efforts for the sake of Humankind, and this cooperation aligns perfectly with the call for inclusivity at COP events. With this in mind, we propose the establishment of a Permanent Advisory Council of Religious Leaders under the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, whereas we present this recommendation. This Council would implement significant public projects based on ecological ethics in relation to the environment and nature, develop educational literature, teaching materials, and collections of religious sermons, and strengthen the ideological foundation for addressing climate issues, thus increasing our achievements toward a common goal.

We would like our proposal to be evaluated at the COP29 Baku and request comprehensive support — organizational, material, and moral — for the newly established platform for religious leaders. The provision of an effective platform for continuous collaboration between religious leaders and the COP under the co-chairmanship of the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, and Brazil during the presidency trio of COP would be a significant achievement and a tangible contribution to COP events.

Protection of human life, as the greatest value created by the Almighty, and the salvation of all other creatures and the Earth is only possible through the supremacy of law, morality, and justice. In this regard, it is essential to enhance the coordinating role of the United Nations. We wish blessings and success for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference. Once again, we express our gratitude to the state of Azerbaijan and wish success to the organizers and participants of this noble event. May the Almighty grant success to all our good intentions, and protect the Earth and Humankind! AMEN!”