(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova delivered a speech on “Strengthening resilience and response to disasters” at the 11th Summit of Parliamentary Speakers of the“Group of Twenty” (G20), known as P20, held in the Republic of South Africa, the parliamentary press service told Trend .

In her address, Gafarova emphasized that the phenomenon of climate change is escalating in intensity, with its ramifications becoming progressively more pronounced on a daily basis. She observed that no sovereign state possesses immunity from the ramifications of climate change, as natural disasters impact every geopolitical entity and territorial region. Consequently, this challenge has escalated into a critical global concern necessitating immediate interventions across all strata.

According to her, this, in turn, calls for laying the groundwork with international frameworks and commitments, turning those ideas into solid national actions and plans, while also making sure that global cooperation and collective support are in the mix for their successful implementation.

Highlighting the role of parliaments in taking necessary response measures against disasters and climate impacts, the speaker underlined that legislative processes should not be reactive but proactive, reflecting adaptation to climate change and risk reduction as a general approach. She added that this also contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Gafarova stressed that the Azerbaijani Parliament has already adopted numerous laws in areas such as environment, land, water, forestry, agriculture, civil defense, and other sectors, laying the foundation for preparedness against the negative effects of climate change. She recalled that last yea,r Azerbaijan presented its National Adaptation Plan, which aligns with the Global Goal on Adaptation, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The plan foresees steps to adapt to changing conditions, further clarifying and improving adaptation measures in certain legislative documents.

The speaker pointed out that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan hosted one of the most successful Conferences of the Parties (COP), namely COP29, last November. She highlighted that the country succeeded in building stronger bridges between the Global South and Global North in pursuit of common goals, ensuring that the voices of developing countries were heard.

She also provided information on the major outcomes of COP29, officially recognized by the United Nations as the“Baku Climate Solidarity Pact.” These include the adoption of a New Collective Quantified Goal (known as the Baku Finance Goal), the full operationalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on international carbon markets, the decision enabling the full launch of the Loss and Damage Fund, as well as the establishment of the Baku Adaptation Roadmap and the High-Level Dialogue on Adaptation.

Gafarova further articulated that the Azerbaijani Parliament, in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, convened a legislative assembly during COP29, strategically focused on synergizing parliamentary initiatives to combat climate change.

In summation, the speaker emphasized that with the triumphant culmination of COP29, Azerbaijan has once more illustrated that unity, concessions, and synergistic strategies are crucial for attaining optimal results amidst shared adversities.

The G20, or Group of Twenty, serves as a pivotal platform for the world's leading economies to engage in dialogue and tackle critical economic and financial challenges. In parallel, the P20, known as Parliament20, functions as a G20 engagement consortium that convenes legislators from G20 nations to enhance collaborative efforts on international matters and bolster the execution of G20 resolutions. The P20, an innovative framework, functions as a conduit for legislative stakeholders to engage in G20 discourse and fortify the nexus between G20 resolutions and parliamentary implementations.

MENAFN02102025000187011040ID1110142263