[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ link_option_url=”https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/un-pga79_cop29-activity-7262139935145500672-kZQ5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop” hover_enabled=”0″ z_index_tablet=”0″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}” link_option_url_new_window=”on” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Remarks by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Philemon Yang, \u00a0High-Level Segment Opening Ceremony at COP29<\/strong><\/p>\n 12 November 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/p>\n Distinguished Delegates,<\/p>\n It is a privilege to join you here in the beautiful city of Baku.<\/p>\n I extend my sincere gratitude to the COP29 Presidency, our hosts, the Government of Azerbaijan, for their leadership in advancing global climate action.<\/p>\n We meet at a moment of urgent need.<\/p>\n A need to go beyond words and deliver on climate action.<\/p>\n Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Environment Programme\u2019s 2024 Emissions Gap Report warns that emissions are at an all-time high, projecting a catastrophic temperature rise of 3.1\u00b0C by the end of the century.<\/p>\n This trajectory promises a surge in climate disasters, with consequences falling hardest on the most vulnerable communities, underscoring our urgent, collective responsibility to act quickly and decisively.<\/p>\n We must undertake several measures to avert further climate disaster and ensure our resilience.<\/p>\n Chief among them is to deliver on the necessary finance commitments.<\/p>\n Let me be clear, without financing, climate action will simply not happen.<\/p>\n So, a first key outcome of COP29<\/strong> must be the delivery of a New Collective Quantified Goal <\/strong>for climate finance, to address the unmet promise of $100 billion per year to <\/strong>support developing countries in their climate response.<\/p>\n And let me be clear again, climate finance is not a subcategory of financing for development. Climate finance should be additional to Official Development Assistance.<\/p>\n This means that developing countries should have access to financing – not only to eradicate poverty and foster sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economic growth, but not at the expense of being able to respond to the adverse impacts of climate change and build climate resilience.<\/p>\n To put it simply, no developing country should have to choose between sustainable development and addressing climate change.<\/p>\n We need to achieve both.<\/p>\n And what is more, the New Collective Quantified Goal<\/strong> must include a significant scale-up of grant-based public finance<\/strong> for mitigation and adaptation.<\/strong><\/p>\n I am pleased to note that the Loss and Damage Fund<\/strong> was operationalized last year, and I hope to see ambitious pledges towards it as we go forward.<\/p>\n We cannot continue sleepwalking towards the climate abyss and then say we did not know how to tackle it.<\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/p>\n A second key outcome of COP29 must be to continue to pursue efforts in line with the 1.5 degree Celsius pathways, while reaffirming our goal to limit global temperatures, as we agreed to in Paris, and in September, with the Pact for the Future.<\/p>\n A global commitment to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all and a just and equitable transition, driven by adequate, predictable and additional climate finance, is essential to reducing emissions thereby<\/p>\n And the third key outcome is to fix the adaptation dilemma.<\/p>\n Every year that we delay taking decisive action the impact of climate change worsens, necessitating more resources and more delivery.<\/p>\n As it stands, current global financial flows for adaptation\u2014both private and public\u2014remain insufficient, as highlighted by the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.<\/p>\n As a result, our capacity to implement effective adaptation strategies and build resilience, particularly in developing nations, remains severely limited.<\/p>\n We must do much better, striving to build momentum from the Pact for the Future which Member States adopted last September.<\/p>\n The Pact<\/strong> was crafted to reinvigorate our multilateral system and make much needed progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals \u2013 which necessarily entails urgent, ambitious climate action.<\/p>\n COP29 is an opportunity to do just that, delivering meaningful outcomes that demonstrate solidarity in the face of immense adversity.<\/p>\n As we look towards COP30 to be hosted by Brazil, we must recognize the need to significantly enhance international cooperation and the international enabling environment to stimulate ambition in the next round of nationally determined contributions.<\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/p>\n I commend Azerbaijan\u2019s Presidency of COP29 for its leadership in building consensus to enhance ambition and enable action across all mandates.<\/p>\n The COP29 Presidency\u2019s initiatives such as the Climate Action Finance Fund,<\/strong> demonstrate that Azerbaijan is leading by example.<\/p>\n Excellencies, <\/strong><\/p>\n The urgency of the climate crisis requires decisive action.<\/p>\n COP29<\/strong> must continue the transition from agreement to action, delivering more and faster on each element of the climate agenda.<\/p>\n To that end, we must commend the establishment of a COP Troika.<\/p>\n This initiative will be crucial in maintaining continuity and coherence in our efforts, ensuring that each conference builds on the progress of the last with greater focus and ambition.<\/p>\n With this strengthened framework, I look forward to enhanced collective efforts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change<\/strong> and the Paris Agreement towards meaningful climate action.<\/strong><\/p>\n The lives and livelihoods of future generations depend on our decisions here today.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s seize the moment.<\/p>\n Thank you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n Media\u00a0Contacts<\/strong><\/p>\n Sharon Birch<\/strong>,\u00a0Spokesperson for\u00a0the President of the General Assembly,\u00a0Tel: + 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email:\u00a0birchs@un.org<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Dr. Mariam Shaikh,\u00a0<\/strong>Adviser\/ Social and Digital Media\/Media Relations M: +1 917 3614990,\u00a0mariam.shaikh@un.org<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n More Information and Updates\u00a0:\u00a0Website<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0YouTube:\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0X (Twitter):<\/a>\u00a0Instagram<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0LinkedIn:\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0Photo Repository:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Remarks by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Philemon Yang,at the \u00a0High-Level Segment Opening Ceremony at COP29 12 November 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, It is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":373,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81,111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-282078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-speeches","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
at the<\/strong><\/p>\n