BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 19. Baku has hosted the "ATACH Day" as part of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), TurkicWorld reports via the Ministry of Health.
Speaking at the event, Azerbaijan's Minister of Health, Teymur Musayev, emphasized the urgent global challenge of climate change, calling it one of the most discussed issues of our time.
"Climate change, once thought to be a distant concern, is now knocking at our door. Droughts, water shortages, extreme heat, and rising sea levels are forcing people to leave their homes," he said.
The Minister also pointed out that while the economic losses caused by climate change are significant, they are somewhat reversible.
"However, what is irreversible is the loss of health and lives of those bearing the brunt of the impacts. Health is one of the first and most direct consequences of climate change we are witnessing today. This clearly shows that any discussion on climate change is incomplete without addressing its health impacts," he added.
Azerbaijan officially joined the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) and will serve as a co-organizer for the Alliance from 2024 through 2026.
"ATACH stands as the primary global platform for fostering national and international collaboration on climate and health issues. The Alliance builds upon the successes of the COP26 Health Agenda and subsequent initiatives, including the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (COP27), the COP28 Health Declaration, and the Resolution on Climate Change and Health adopted at the seventy-seventh World Health Assembly," the minister said.
Musayev also noted that Azerbaijan, as the COP29 host country, is committed to the transition to green energy.
He further emphasized that financing climate change mitigation, including health-related impacts, remains a cornerstone of COP29 discussions.
"Financing climate change mitigation continues to be a cornerstone of the COP29 discussions, particularly when it comes to addressing health-related impacts. We believe that funding for both the climate and health agendas must be elevated, with active involvement from all relevant stakeholders.
ATACH currently unites over 90 countries and territories, alongside more than 70 partners, all collaborating on this vital mission. The Alliance also offers a key global platform for fostering action on both climate change and health, including the development of climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems. As a co-host of ATACH, Azerbaijan is committed to working with both past and future COP Presidencies, as well as all ATACH members, to drive global momentum for climate and health action. We invite all countries participating in COP29 to join ATACH, allowing them to contribute to and benefit from collective efforts aimed at improving health through climate action," the minister concluded.
The event also featured speeches from several international health leaders, including Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala, Director of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific; Gerard Howe, Head of the Department for Adaptation, Nature, and External Resilience at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO); and Dr. Ethel Maciel, Secretary of Health Surveillance at the Ministry of Health of Brazil, among others. They highlighted the opportunity presented by COP29 for the global community to unite efforts and define practical solutions to address climate-related health challenges.
The session emphasized that climate change leads to the spread of dangerous diseases, stressing the burden it places on healthcare systems and its undermining of financial stability. The crisis impacts the most vulnerable populations, underscoring the need to harness the opportunities arising from climate action to foster innovation, technology, and research for a healthier and more resilient future.
To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will run until November 22, opened at the Baku Olympic Stadium on November 11. It is the largest event organized by Azerbaijan to date, and the first time in the region that it is being held in Azerbaijan.
Within COP29, the highest level event - the summit of world leaders on climate action – was held on November 12–13.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The COP29 Presidency has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
In addition to being a top priority that creates the conditions for action, creating climate finance will also help fulfill the 1.5°C pledge by bringing everyone together.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for "Conference of Parties" and is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A total of 198 countries are parties to the Convention. Unless otherwise decided by the parties, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.
