Following Azerbaijan's selection as the host country for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on December 11, 2023, information operations targeting our country have been intensified.

The scale and coordination of the campaign prompted Mrs. Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to direct the Commission against Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats to launch investigations within its mandate.

In light of the findings, a public debate titled "Hybrid threats against COP29" took place on October 21, 2024. The event provided a platform for a dynamic exchange of ideas among Members of Parliament, civil society representatives, think tank experts, and specialists in hybrid threats and cybersecurity.

Following the event, a special bilingual report in Azerbaijani and English, titled “Hybrid attacks against COP29: Our society must not fall victim to hybrid threats!” was prepared in November 2024, based on those discussions and open-source intelligence.

The report offers a detailed analysis of the two main types of hybrid threats –disinformation and lawfare – actively employed against Azerbaijan, and identifies the sources and actors behind these actions. It also highlights the mechanisms employed by certain countries to bypass widely accepted norms and principles of international law in perpetrating hybrid attacks.

Additionally, the present report sheds light on several parliaments and international human rights organizations that pursue specific agendas as tools of hybrid attacks, with the financial and political support of certain states.

Furthermore, the report unveils the funding mechanisms and identifies the individuals in leadership positions within these networks, who lack impartiality and often align with specific groups, serving the interests of the Republic of Armenia and the global Armenian community.

Additionally, it explores the coordinated efforts among several lawmakers, major media outlets, certain "human rights" organizations, and the Armenian lobby, providing examples of the methods employed in conducting such campaigns.

The report also provides insights into the activities of those who have traditionally engaged in hostility toward Azerbaijan and actively participated in anti-COP29 campaigns. These include Armenian lobby organizations, wealthy members of the Armenian diaspora, and officials of the Republic of Armenia.

In conclusion, the report analyzes the social media campaigns and hashtags directed against COP29 in recent months, while also presenting statistics on the global media's coverage and interest in the event.

From the standpoint of raising international awareness, the aforementioned special report is also planned to be distributed to the parliaments of friendly and partner countries.

The Commission of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan
against Foreign Interference & Hybrid Threats

(You can download the report here)