Return of the Second Deputy Speaker of the Senate from a working mission to Baku

On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Honourable Fabrice Nkurunziza, Second Deputy Speaker of the Senate, returned from a working mission to Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, where he participated, from November 16 to 17, 2024, in a parliamentary meeting within the framework of the 29^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29).

This meeting aimed to assess the progress made by countries in implementing the objectives and principles of the Paris Agreement concerning the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the role of Parliaments in achieving these objectives.

Addressing the press, the Second Deputy Speaker of the Senate stressed that the participants noted that there is still a long way to go to achieve the targets of reducing 43% of global emissions by 2030 and 60% by 2035, in order to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Honourable Nkurunziza also indicated that the participants insisted that developed countries, the main contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, should respect their commitments to reduce emissions and increase financing of funds intended for climate change risks and damages, in favour of the most affected countries, particularly developing countries.

He specified that at the end of this conference, parliaments were asked to become more involved in the implementation of national climate change adaptation and risk reduction plans, by supporting the actions of their governments through legislation, monitoring, awareness-raising, conflict prevention and support for sustainable development, energy transition and environmental protection policies.

He said that this meeting was beneficial for him and for the country because it allowed him to exchange with his counterparts and become aware of the magnitude of the issues related to climate change.

He also got the opportunity to present the priority programmes and actions that the government of Burundi is implementing to prevent and combat climate change.