BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. We placed the priorities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the forefront of our COP29 Presidency and aimed to keep their concerns high on the international agenda, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in his address to the participants of the Pre-COP Leaders’ Event 2026 held in Fiji.
"Ahead of COP29 Azerbaijan hosted the leaders of the Bahamas, Tonga and Tuvalu. This visit culminated in the adoption of the Baku Communique emphasizing the needs of SIDS and calling for stronger global climate action," the head of state noted.
The Pre-COP Leaders’ Event 2026, held primarily in Tuvalu on 5-6 October with parallel sessions in Nadi, Fiji, is a high-level gathering co-hosted by Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. Bringing together leaders and ministers from more than 50 countries, the event aims to elevate Pacific priorities - including keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach, accelerating the clean energy transition, unlocking climate finance for vulnerable nations and placing the ocean at the centre of global climate action - while highlighting the real impacts of climate change on low-lying atoll nations.
