To the participants of the International Baku Forum on “Climate Change and Human Rights: the Role of Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions”

Dear Forum participants,

I sincerely welcome you on the occasion of the opening of the International Baku Forum on “Climate change and human rights: the role of ombudsmen and national human rights institutions”.

You have come to Azerbaijan at a very significant historical moment for our people. It has been a year since Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty and constitutional order, eliminating the “gray” zone and ending separatism in our territories.

As you may know, for nearly 30 years, Armenia kept Azerbaijan’s lands under occupation, flouting international law, resolutions of the UN Security Council and other international organizations, and carried out ethnic cleansing there, turning more than a million of our compatriots into refugees and internally displaced persons.

Although the conflict is over now, unfortunately, the serious consequences of Armenia's 30-year military aggression are still there, posing a huge threat to people's lives and the environment. Armenia has committed ecocide, urbicide, and culturicide in our occupied territories, polluting and poisoning our lands and rivers, destroying our forests, razing our cities and villages to the ground, as well as planting countless mines that threaten people's right to live here and cause serious damage to the environment. At the same time, our people’s cultural heritage of global importance has been destroyed and our religious and cultural monuments have been wiped out the face of the earth.

Armenia has also violated its obligations arising from international humanitarian law, refusing to provide information about the fate of the persons who went missing in the First Karabakh War and the exact location of mass graves. Armenia must apologize for all these crimes it has committed.

Extensive construction work is currently underway in the territories liberated from occupation to enable the return of our compatriots whose fundamental rights were flagrantly violated and who were expelled from their homes for more than 30 years. We are restoring the infrastructure and ecosystem destroyed during the occupation, new cities and villages are under construction in Karabakh and East Zangezur, which have been declared a “green energy” zone. You will visit our liberated territories and get acquainted with the vandalized places, as well as the reconstruction and restoration work currently underway there.

Dear Forum participants,

The topic of the International Baku Forum is of special relevance for all mankind. Climate change is one of the global problems that threaten the sustainable development and security of all countries. However, climate change directly or indirectly affects not only the socioeconomic well-being of states, but also the daily lives and lifestyles of ordinary people, creating a number of serious challenges for protecting and ensuring fundamental human rights.

Climate change and its consequences deprive people of the proper exercise of their rights to life, health, food, clean water, housing, etc. They also deepen inequality and make it extremely difficult to ensure the rights of vulnerable population groups.

Azerbaijan is among countries that pay special attention to the fight against climate change and its negative effects in accordance with the obligations arising from the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is no coincidence that one of the five national priorities for socioeconomic development of Azerbaijan until 2030 is defined as “Country of clean environment and green growth”. In accordance with this priority, purposeful work is underway in our country in the direction of improving the environment, restoring and increasing greenery, and ensuring the efficient use of water and sustainable energy sources.

Azerbaijan is also a country contributing to global climate action. It is noteworthy that this Forum is taking place on the eve of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP29, which is of special importance for the whole world and will be hosted by Azerbaijan in November of this year. Our country’s hosting such a prestigious event is an indication of the great respect and trust in Azerbaijan as well as the contribution of our country to the prevention of climate change at all levels. I believe that COP29 will provide an important impetus to the strengthening of climate solidarity for a green, fair, inclusive and sustainable world.

The organization of today's event in Azerbaijan demonstrates our country's commitment both to combating climate change and to the protection of human rights. The forum is important in terms of discussing the problems caused by climate change and their solutions from the perspective of human rights and exchanging positive experiences in this field. I appreciate the partnerships between the ombudsmen of foreign countries and representatives of the national human rights institutions participating here and consider it important to step up these contacts for a systematic, smooth and effective establishment of joint activities related to the issues of common interest that will be discussed at the Forum.

I do believe that the Forum will contribute to promoting new initiatives and approaches in safeguarding human rights in the context of climate change, combining efforts to combat situations that seriously hinder the protection of these rights, and open up avenues for developing partnerships between ombudsmen and national human rights institutions, and exchanging expertise and ideas.

I extend my best wishes to you and wish success for the event.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 1 October 2024