Baku, 11-13 November 2024 – CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay participated in COP29 hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan in collaboration with the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This global conference gathered heads of state or government, other high-level officials, heads of international organizations and climate advocates from 196 countries to address pressing issues and take actions related to climate change.
On 12 November 2024, the CICA Secretary General represented CICA at the High-Level Roundtable on Energy: Advancing Climate Mitigation Action, co-hosted by Azerbaijan and the International Energy Agency, on the margins of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit. He highlighted CICA’s unique and comprehensive security framework, which integrates five dimensions of cooperation: military-political, new challenges and threats, human, economic and environmental. Underscoring the role of enhancing climate change resilience and shared responsibility of CICA Member States, the Secretary General emphasized crucial outcomes of the first-ever CICA Ministerial Conference on Environmental Issues held on 28 August 2024. The ministerial-level statement adopted by the conference reflects commitment of Member States to advance climate adaptation, preserve biodiversity and improve water resource management. Ambassador Sarybay also welcomed Azerbaijan's upcoming CICA Chairmanship in 2024-2026, expressing optimism about its proactive leadership. He also highlighted the initiative of the Kazakh Chairmainship to establish a CICA environmental council, an advisory body to focus on sustainable development, collaborative action and environmental cooperation across the CICA region.
On 13 November 2024, as a panelist on Adverse Impacts of Climate Change on the Decline of Water Basins, Secretary General Sarybay addressed the urgent need for sustainable water management in the face of escalating climate impacts. He spoke about the profound consequences of recent environmental crises, such as extensive flooding across Asia, which threaten regional security. The Secretary General reaffirmed CICA’s support for water conservation initiatives, calling for joint efforts to strengthen water management practices and mitigate climate-related risks. He also announced CICA’s upcoming side event on the margins of COP29, Pathways to Sustainable Connectivity, scheduled for 20 November 2024, which will explore sustainable solutions for green transportation networks in Asia.
In his engagements at COP29, the Secretary General reiterated CICA’s commitment to a multilateral approach to strenghtening climate change resilience, emphasizing the organization’s role as a collaborative platform to unite Asia in pursuit of an environmentally sustainable and prosperous future.
