DHAKA, Oct 15, 2024 (BSS) – Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin has expressed optimism that COP29, set to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, will bring significant advancements in securing international climate finance commitments.

The foreign secretary made the remark during a meeting with Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Climate Action Selwin Hart in the United States, a foreign ministry statement said here today.  

Jashim emphasized Bangladesh's ongoing leadership in climate adaptation and highlighted the pressing issue of human mobility, describing it as one of the major challenges posed by climate change.

Climate financing is critical to supporting vulnerable nations like Bangladesh in addressing climate change impacts, he said adding that Dhaka is hopeful that COP29 will deliver concrete results.

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Prof Muhammad Yunus, is expected to attend the conference next month, an official of the foreign ministry familiar with the development said. 

COP29, the 29th edition of the Conference of the Parties, is a pivotal meeting where global leaders assess progress in implementing the Paris Agreement, aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5°C. 

With 198 Parties, including 197 countries and the European Union, the COP is the largest international forum for negotiating climate-related policies.

The conference, scheduled for November 2024, is expected to address various critical issues, including financing for climate adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage—topics that are of paramount concern to vulnerable countries like Bangladesh.