

On October 17, a roundtable discussion titled "Ahead of COP 29" was held in Yerevan. The event aimed to present the position of Armenia’s civil society on the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and to hear the official stance of Armenian state bodies regarding Armenia’s participation and climate agenda within the COP framework.
Sonja Schiffers, Director of the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office - South Caucasus Region, welcomed the roundtable participants. She emphasized the importance of organizing such an event, which provides an opportunity for all interested parties to deepen cooperation:
“This meeting is important for us not only to better understand the Armenian discussions around climate and COP issues, but also because we want to contribute to strengthening cooperation between the Armenian government, governmental institutions, and civil society on these topics. This will help ensure that, prior to COP, all investments and outcomes in the climate sector are more thoroughly examined," she noted.
Referring to the organization of COP 29 in Baku, Schiffers remarked:
"The climate crisis is becoming increasingly urgent, and global progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is much needed. The conference will be held in Baku, following the agreement for the release of 32 Armenian prisoners of war and 2 Azerbaijani prisoners from Armenia. At the same time, Baku is a highly problematic host, especially from Armenia’s civil society perspective. Therefore, I am pleased that we can discuss openly and, in a trust-based environment how Armenia’s civil society views COP 29 being held in Baku. We are affiliated to the Green Party of Germany, which clearly means that climate is a very important issue for us," she stated.
"The freedom for civil society to operate is a core value for our foundation," she said, adding, "We closely cooperate with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty, and we are planning a joint event at the Blue Zone of COP in Baku. One of our three Azerbaijani colleagues designated for COP was arrested in August on charges of treason, facing up to 20 years in prison for his anti-war and anti-nationalist stance. Therefore, it is crucial for us that every German politician and representative of German civil society going to Baku understands the political context and is informed about Azerbaijan’s efforts to use COP for ‘greenwashing’ and ‘peacewashing’ purposes."
The roundtable was organized by "EcoLur" Information NGO with the support of the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office - South Caucasus Region within the framework of "Strengthening Communities in Implementation of Climate Policy in Armenia through Participation and Awareness Raising" project.
This article was prepared within the framework of "Strengthening Communities in Implementation of Climate Policy in Armenia through Participation and Awareness Raising" project, which is implemented in cooperation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office - South Caucasus Region.
The content of the article is solely the responsibility of the author, and it cannot in any way be perceived as the viewpoint of the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office - South Caucasus Region.
October 24, 2024 at 13:41