Baku to host COP29. Is the city ready for it? Commentary
Baku to host COP29
Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) next year. Armenia withdrew its candidacy to host the event in favor of Azerbaijan. What is this conference and why is it so important?
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At the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, it was announced that Azerbaijan will host the next session in 2024.
Armenia and Bulgaria withdrew their candidacy in favor of Azerbaijan. The withdrawal by Yerevan was announced on December 7 in a joint statement of the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan.
In return, Azerbaijan supported Armenia’s candidacy from the Eastern European Group for membership in the Bureau of the SOR.
What is SOR?
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) is an agreement signed by more than 180 countries, including all countries of the former Soviet Union and all industrialized countries, on common principles for national action on climate change. The Convention was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and went into effect on March 21, 1994.
Since 2000, sessions have been held annually in a variety of locations around the world.
Leaders from more than 140 countries participated in COP28 Dubai.
The biggest event for Azerbaijan
According to economic expert Farid Mehralizadeh, the climate conference will be the largest event organized in Azerbaijan since the country’s independence.
The expert that about 80 thousand people from more than 100 countries took part in this year’s SOR28 in Dubai. Together with technicians, the number of participants exceeded 100 thousand people.
The year before that, in 2022, about 50 thousand guests took part in SOR27 in Minsk. “In other words, tens of thousands of people are expected to come to Baku, and of course, heads of state and government from over 100 countries.”
A serious test for Baku
The expert said that Baku’s existing infrastructure is in for a serious test, especially in terms of hotels and the airport:
“According to official statistics for the beginning of 2023, all hotels in Baku at one time can accommodate only 24 thousand people. For the whole of Azerbaijan, this figure is equal to 56 thousand. As can be seen from these figures, more guests may come to Baku to participate in SOR29 than the hotels not only in the capital itself, but also throughout the country.
It can be assumed that the government will use the Olympic Village, built for the guests of the 2015 European Games, for this purpose. But whether there will be enough places there is another question.
The readiness of the airport to receive so many people in a few days is also an interesting question. If you remember, Baku hosted the Euroleague soccer final between English clubs Chelsea and Arsenal. Then only 15 thousand tickets were allocated for fans from abroad to the stadium with a capacity of 70 thousand fans. Then UEFA explained such a decision by the logistical capabilities of the Baku airport.
In other words, it is clear that if Baku is going to host the number of guests from previous similar sessions of the SOR, the logistical capabilities of the capital must seriously increase.
On the other hand, when Baku hosts events involving just a few countries, roads throughout the city are blocked. Imagining what it will be like on the days of SOR29.”
