The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was opened in Baku (Azerbaijan) today, November 11.
More than 100 heads of state and government, 150 delegations from around the world are expected to participate in its work. Participation of the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov is also planned.
In 2024, for the first time, a national pavilion of the Kyrgyz Republic will be installed during the conference from November 13 to November 21 as part of the general promotion of «Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions for 2023-2027».
«Based on this approach, it will not only function as a national pavilion, but will also serve as a central place for promoting the mountain agenda. Our delegation will actively promote initiatives to protect the interests of Kyrgyzstan and mountain countries in the area of mobilizing resources related to adaptation to climate change,» Aizada Barieva, head of the Climate Policy Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan, told 24.kg news agency.
The 150-square-meter pavilion will host daily presentations with the participation of ministries and departments of the republic on current issues of the climate agenda, energy, trade, economic, tourism and investment potential of the Kyrgyz Republic. A yurt has been set up for bilateral meetings, and a small exhibition of national products (honey, dried fruits, chocolate) has been organized, which can be tasted.
Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov said that organizing the pavilion was «not so cheap for our country, but not so expensive either.»
As the Minister of Natural Resources Meder Mashiev told 24.kg news agency, more than 20 million soms were spent on installation of the pavilion. Several dozen bilateral meetings are planned.
What is COP?
The abbreviation COP stands for Conference of the Parties.
COP is the highest body of the negotiating process for the implementation of the provisions of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. There are 198 states parties to the convention. The first conference was held in 1995 and over time has become one of the largest forums convened under the auspices of the UN. Conferences are held annually on a rotation basis in a country belonging to one of the five UN regional groups.
COP29 will be held at the Baku Olympic Stadium from November 11 to November 22. According to media reports, about 70,000 people have registered to participate in it. More than 150 pavilions have been set up on the conference grounds.
What are the main topics?
The main focus of COP29 will be on financing issues, since countries need huge funds to radically reduce emissions of gases into the atmosphere that cause the greenhouse effect. The parties to the convention will negotiate a new collective quantitative target — a more ambitious, transparent and predictable climate finance target that better meets the needs of developing countries in mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage.
Developing countries insist that this should be grant aid, not loans.
Issues such as carbon neutrality, measures to adapt to climate change, the introduction of new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and others will also be discussed.
In addition, the participants will talk about updating the national action plans to combat climate change under the Paris Agreement, which should be published by early 2025. High-quality implementation of these plans will limit global warming to the established 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
Why is this important for Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan is one of the mountainous republics vulnerable to climate change. Directions for low-carbon transformation are outlined in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
The total estimated cost of implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures is about $11 billion. Of this, 37 percent are domestic resources, funds from the private sector, international donors and the national budget; 63 percent are the need for international financial support. Expanding access to climate finance remains the most significant way to accelerate NDC implementation and stimulate transformative action.
This material was produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
