The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), hosted by our country, continues.
Within the framework of the session, the second High-Level Meeting of Ministers of Culture on Culture-Based Climate Action was held on November 15, organized by the Ministries of Culture of the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and Azerbaijan.
The Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, Adil Karimli, welcomed the participants and gave an opening speech in which he emphasized the importance of the meeting.
The Director General of ICESCO, Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, expressed his satisfaction at participating in the event.
He noted that the impact of climate change on culture is gradually increasing: "We will try to protect our cultural heritage for our future. At today's event, we will talk about the ways out".
Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, Director General of the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties (ICCROM), expressed regret that sustainable solutions to the climate crisis have not been found. She said that as we make fundamental progress in this area, we must also protect our own culture.
Dorine Dubois, Chief of the Executive of the Culture Sector at UNESCO, said that many examples of cultural heritage are now in danger of being destroyed as a result of climate change. In order to prevent this, different strategies should be implemented.
In his speech, the Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Fuad Naghiyev, talked about the work carried out by the organization in the direction of protection of cultural heritage monuments in our country: "It is very important to pass our cultural heritage to future generations. Joint efforts should be made to achieve development in this field. I believe that by taking care of the cultural sphere, we will be able to leave a greener world for future generations".
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, President of Petra National Trust, Princess of Jordan Dana Firas said that integrating cultural heritage into climate change issues has already become a necessity: "Last year's COP28 held very successful events in this regard. I hope that important steps will be taken in the mentioned field within the framework of the session".
Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network's Climate and Environment Committee, spoke about the work done by the organization in the field of cultural heritage protection. He said that it is possible to contribute to the protection of historical and cultural heritage by protecting the environment.
Aktoti Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, noted that climate change affects culture as well as many other fields. Due to global warming, floods and storms occur, and as a result, historical monuments are in danger of being destroyed.
Then, the address of the Minister of Climate Change and the Environment of the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, was brought to the attention of the event participants.
Later, a video on the cultural agenda of COP29 was shown.
Then the meeting continued with reports.
Minister Adil Karimli noted that Azerbaijan's efforts in the field of green energy are highly appreciated by the international community. He said, "We expect productive results from today's ministerial meeting. Our work is in line with that of UNESCO, ICESCO, and other institutions. We believe that culture is an important tool and value its role in environmental protection. The document we will adopt at the end of today's meeting will serve as a basis for future cooperation and positive climate action.
The Minister of Culture of the United Arab Emirates, Salem bin Khalid Al-Qassimi, expressed his satisfaction with the growing membership of the Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action (GFCBCA).
Noting that this would result in a stronger cross-sectoral voice, he said, "At this meeting we will focus on highlighting the cultural aspect of climate action. There is a strong link between culture and climate change. I believe that more investment in research is needed in this area. We invite all parties to engage in inter-ministerial cooperation".
This was followed by the video message of Margareth Menezes, Minister of Culture of the Federal Republic of Brazil.
Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, expressed his hope that the COP29 meeting would live up to public expectations, saying, "Climate change is also a threat to our culture. There is a lot of work to be done in this area. Türkiye is taking various steps in this regard. We fully support Azerbaijan's initiative at COP29 and are always open to mutual cooperation.
Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan, noted that the effects of climate change are felt everywhere and emphasized that cultural heritage is also affected. He stressed the need for a sensitive approach to environmental issues. He expressed his pleasure at participating in such an event within the prestigious COP29 session and thanked the Azerbaijani side for organizing it at a high level.
Ataullah Tarar, Minister for National Heritage and Culture of Pakistan, spoke about the impact of climate change on his country, mentioning the devastating floods in 2022: "This disaster threatened the loss of cultural heritage in certain areas. I hope that the achievements we have made today in Baku will help us to successfully continue our efforts in this area in the future".
Styliani Mendoni, Minister of Culture and Sports of Greece, thanked Azerbaijan for its hospitality. Stressing the need for action to address the effects of climate change, she said, "We need to make risk maps in this area. The Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action should take practical steps to fill the gaps in this area. In recent years, this group has organized international seminars in many countries. I believe that today's event will also contribute significantly to addressing these issues.
The other speakers shared their views on the topic, highlighting the important role of culture in shaping climate policy.
Following the speeches, the final document of the second High-Level Meeting of Ministers of Culture was adopted.
COP29 Lead Negotiator, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yalchin Rafiyev, who delivered the closing speech, said that culture has a large role to play in climate action. He said that the importance of culture-based climate action is particularly emphasized in the adopted document.
