According media reports, the Rwandan Head of State was received at Heydar Aliyev International Airport by Hidayat Abdullayev, Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, along with other officials.
During his stay in Baku, President Kagame is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings with various leaders, including the host, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.
Calls for increased climate financing are expected to dominate the COP29 conference, which is scheduled to run from November 11 to November 22, 2024.
Rwanda's delegation, represented by various institutions, will advocate for more ambitious climate action and present the country as an ideal destination for green investment.
Rwanda will also call for a new global climate finance goal of at least $1.3 trillion annually, as part of the proposed 'new collective quantified goal on climate finance' (NCQG).
The United Nations meeting comes at a time of increasing urgency to fund climate adaptation through capacity building and technology transfer. This approach is essential to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure that nations "walk the talk" on previous commitments.
During the last edition of the conference held at Expo City in Dubai, UAE, from November 30 to December 12, 2023, world leaders deliberated on several initiatives and agreements aimed at accelerating climate action.
COP28 delegates reached a historic consensus to phase down fossil fuels, pushing for economies to transition towards clean energy. The UAE Consensus calls for participants to submit economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), commit to net-zero emissions by 2050, and triple global renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030.
The conference performed the first Global Stocktake, which evaluates global progress on climate commitments, identifying key gaps. In response, COP28 advocated for a restructuring of climate finance to make it more accessible and equitable, especially for developing nations. It mobilized over $85 billion, including funding for loss and damage due to climate events and increased support for adaptation measures.
At the same time, a landmark agreement was reached to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund, with an initial commitment of $792 million. This fund is intended to assist nations that have suffered disproportionately from climate-induced disasters, helping them recover and rebuild.
The conference recognized youth contributions by institutionalizing the Youth Climate Champion role and included commitments to health and sustainable food systems. Over 140 countries endorsed the "Climate and Health Declaration" to build climate-resilient health systems, and 158 nations supported a similar initiative for sustainable agriculture.
COP28 also fostered partnerships between governments and industries, committing to decarbonize the oil and gas sector and reduce methane emissions.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/president-kagame-arrives-in-azerbaijan-for-cop29
