Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova delivered a speech on 22 November at the 57^th plenary session of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS Member States in Saint Petersburg. She emphasised that co-operation within the framework of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly has become an effective partnership mechanism for the Commonwealth countries, significantly contributing to the development of collaboration across various sectors.

In her meetings and speeches whilst at the CIS IPA gathering, Sahiba Gafarova provided detailed information about the COP29 held in Baku with the special care and support of President Ilham Aliyev. She revisited this topic during the plenary session of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly as well.

The Speaker noted that the 29^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the COP29), held in Baku, is nearing its conclusion. The event welcomed over 70,000 guests from 196 countries, including more than 80 presidents, vice presidents, and other high-ranking officials. Azerbaijan, unanimously chosen as the host country, made every effort to achieve a unified approach in the fight against climate change. The successes achieved at the COP29 inspire hope that the international community will remain united and consistent in addressing this critical issue.

Sahiba Gafarova also underscored the contributions of parliaments to this process, mentioning the Parliamentary Meeting held as part of the COP29, jointly organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Milli Majlis. The meeting was attended by over 90 delegations from parliaments and other international organisations. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis emphasised that the two-day meetings and the Final Document reflect common positions in the fight against climate change.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova mentioned the active development of the international dimension of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly’s activities. One example of the practical implementation of this work was the plenary session of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in July 2024 in St Petersburg.

In her address, Sahiba Gafarova also emphasised that one of the key focus areas of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly is monitoring electoral processes in the CIS Member States. She expressed gratitude to the Assembly’s observer group for their efforts during the monitoring of the snap elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan held on 1 September 2024.

The speech also highlighted the activities and contributions of the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentary Practices, and Electoral Rights of Citizens of CIS Member States, as well as its Baku branch, which has been operating since 2007.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis