BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), set to be held in Baku this November, are progressing across various fronts, COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company told TurkicWorld.
A technical testing phase, known as Proof of Concept (PoC), began to ensure the smooth and flawless operation of information and communication technology (ICT) systems for the event.
This testing phase started on August 19 at Baku Olympic Stadium, the event's venue, with participation from Azerbaijan's COP29 operating company and UNFCCC representatives. On the first day of testing, UNFCCC officials reviewed the existing systems in the completed infrastructure, visited the two database centers, and inspected the aggregation and communication rooms.
The PoC phase, which will last for three weeks, aims to verify the security, functionality, and efficiency of the networks and services to be used during the conference. This includes testing ICT and wireless network security, simulating the accreditation process, and conducting cybersecurity checks. These tests are designed to identify potential risks and ensure technical preparations address any issues that may arise during the event.
The PoC checks, which will continue until September 8, will also involve staff from partner companies and contractors working at the venue. At the end of this phase, the readiness of the ICT infrastructure for COP29 will be evaluated and confirmed to ensure that all systems are fully operational.
To note, this November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 70–80,000 foreign guests.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, with its secretariat in Bonn.
