On October 21, 2011, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted a signing ceremony of Cooperation Agreement, entitled “Mobilizing Azerbaijani Youth for Action in Preparation for the Rio+20 Summit in 2012”.

This one-year project aims to encourage young people to participate in the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012. It also aims to help young people share their views and ideas on how to tackle the challenges of sustainable development in Azerbaijan.

International Dialogue on Environmental Action (IDEA), recently launched by Mrs. Leila Aliyeva will serve as a platform for youth engagement in the movement for sustainable development.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Fikret Akcura, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Azerbaijan, said: “young people comprise nearly one third of the general population. Sustainable development and green economy will ensure better livelihoods and healthier environment for them”. Mr. Akcura emphasized the importance of balancing the needs of the current generations with those of future generations and hearing the voices of young people in the decisions which have a lasting impact on their future.

Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, stated that “IDEA is a campaign committed to improving the role of young people in environmental governance and which supports international dialogue. She went on to say that IDEA aims to work on multiple fronts giving balanced consideration to environmental, economic and social goals.

The opening statements were followed by a video which demonstrated how we can all protect environment, a statement by the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mr. Huseyngulu Bagirov and a presentation of the IDEA’s website: www.ideacampaign.org

The event brought together over 100 guests representing the diplomatic corps, government, international organizations and media.