The President-Designate of COP29, Mukhtar Babayev, has extended an invitation to UNFCCC Constituencies, urging them to appoint two representatives to participate in the newly established Friends of the COP29 Presidency forum.
This initiative aims to ensure that the voices of all UNFCCC Constituencies are heard during the climate negotiations at COP29.
The Friends of the COP29 Presidency forum will provide Constituencies with a platform to engage directly with the presidency on negotiation topics, allowing them to express their needs and priorities.
This is seen as a significant step in fostering transparency, impartiality, and inclusivity in this year’s climate discussions.
This development aligns with the commitment made by the COP29 President-Designate in his First Letter to Parties and Constituencies, which outlined his vision for delivering the upcoming climate negotiations in an open and inclusive manner.
The move has been widely regarded as a positive step towards ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered in the global effort to address climate change.
COP29, expected to focus on critical issues such as mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance, will take place later this year, with the world looking to the summit for decisive action on the climate crisis.
By Dare Akogun
The full communication to Constituencies can be found below:
Dear colleagues,
In our first Letter to Parties and Observers, the COP29 Presidency committed to delivering this year’s climate negotiations in a transparent, impartial and inclusive manner.
The COP29 Presidency recognises inclusivity as a critical ingredient of a successful negotiations process, that will enable us to channel a diversity and wealth of solutions to address our common challenges. Meaningful engagement by all stakeholders is key to making COP29 a success, and we are determined to provide every possible opportunity for everyone to have their voice heard.
As we aim to bring the world’s voices together, the UNFCCC Constituencies and admitted organisations play a critical role, representing broad coalitions of key parts of society. My team and I have been listening to and engaging with the Constituencies since the early days of the process.
We have also had the opportunity to meet in person and discuss issues relating to global climate action during the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue and the Bonn Climate Change Conference. During the Bonn sessions alone, our negotiating team, led by Lead Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev, held over 170 consultations.
Already established platforms such as our monthly meetings and bilateral engagements have already created an effective framework for alignment, but we want to go further to ensure that Constituencies have a central role in this year’s debate. That is why the COP29 Presidency would like to propose operationalizing the Friends of the COP29 Presidency announced in our first Letter to Parties and Observers in July 2024.
As a structure, the Friends of the COP29 Presidency will focus on the negotiation topics of COP29. The COP29 Presidency would be honoured to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the Constituencies in the delivery of successful negotiation outcomes. At the same time, we believe that this format would better serve in reflecting the priorities and needs of the Constituencies in climate negotiations.
I would like to invite each Constituency to appoint two representatives to be included in the Friends of the COP29 Presidency. The COP29 Presidency intends to hold the first meeting of the Friends of the COP29 Presidency this month.
We are committed to running an inclusive process that delivers inclusive outcomes. We humbly ask for your support and engagement to help make this a reality.
Yours sincerely,
Mukhtar Babayev,
Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the
Republic of Azerbaijan, COP29 President-Designate
