As we have reported, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova is in the United States of America on a working visit. During the visit, the Speaker of Parliament delivered a speech themed ‘Turning global commitments into national action: parliament, sustainable development and Azerbaijan’s climate agenda’ at the Columbia University.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis was talking about the importance of translating global commitments to concrete national-level policy and action.

She observed that though the Sustainable Development Goals are global in nature, their implementation is firstly of all dependent on policy, legislation and specific projects undertaken at national levels. Hence the prime importance of accommodating global goals with national priorities and of ensuring the results achieved are sustainable.

It was mentioned that steps are being taken in Azerbaijan in line with the national sustainable development policy to ensure economic diversification, human capital development and promotion of education and innovations.

The human factor was brought up in the address as the basis for sustainable development. The importance of education, promotion of professional skills, dignified labour, equal opportunities and youth’s active involvement in the processes were all emphasised duly.

A stress was placed on the important role of parliaments in the implementation of the global commitments at the national levels. It was stressed that parliaments’ legislative, budget-related and supervisory functionalities make it possible to form a favourable legal and institutional foundation for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The speech also broached Azerbaijan’s climate agenda. It was said that mutual relations between energy, climate and development are of dramatic importance to our country. Advancement of renewable energy sources and acceleration of the energy transition are amongst Azerbaijan’s topmost priorities whilst the traditional energy resources preserve their considerable role in economic development. It was mentioned that it is intended to reduce hothouse gas emissions by 2035 by 40 per cent compared with 1990. The importance of improving legislative bases and parliamentary supervision for the achievement of those goals was underlined, too.

The outcomes of the COP29 climate conference held in Baku in 2024 and the mechanisms behind the implementation of global commitments were broached as well. And so was the importance of supporting international ambitions using practicable means.

Turning then to the role of parliaments in this process, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis said that international treaties are only the starting-point rather than the culmination of the process. According to the Speaker, international negotiations are conducted by governments but decisions made require action at the intra-state level. The legislative, budgetary scrutiny and oversight functions of parliaments are of decisive importance in ensuring the efficient use of public resources in this regard. The Parliamentary Meeting which the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Milli Majlis organised in Baku within the format of COP29 made a significant contribution to this exchange of experience.

Whilst talking about Azerbaijan’s development path and sustained future, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis remarked that the country’s transition to clean energy and diversification of its economy require consistent investments, a powerful human capital and innovations. It was said that the Government, the business community, the universities and the civil society ought to join their efforts to achieve such transformation.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova said in conclusion of her address that the principal goal consists in converting today’s commitment to practical and useful results for the coming generations.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis