The 1st Azerbaijan Environmental Forum was held.

On March 18, at the JW Marriott Absheron Hotel, the 1st Azerbaijan Environmental Forum was held on the initiative and organization of the IDEA Public Union (International Dialogue for Environmental Protection), headed by the Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Leyla Aliyeva.

Held under the slogan “Let’s Build Azerbaijan’s Green Future Together,” the forum brought together state and non-governmental organizations active in the environmental field in Azerbaijan, serving as a unified platform for exchanging ideas on addressing the country’s existing ecological problems.

At the opening ceremony of the forum, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Huseynqulu Baghirov, delivered a speech. According to the Minister, sustainable efforts have been carried out in recent years to protect the environment in Azerbaijan.

“In the past two years, the area covered by the olive groves planted on the Absheron Peninsula is larger than any olive groves planted historically in Azerbaijan,” the Minister added.

Later, the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Antonius Broek, emphasized that joint work and mutual cooperation are very important in environmental protection efforts. Considering the involvement of young people in this work as essential, he concluded by thanking the IDEA Public Union for actively engaging youth in environmental protection.

Guests speaking at the event expressed their gratitude to Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and head of the IDEA Public Union, for unique initiatives carried out in the environmental field in Azerbaijan, and wished success to IDEA’s activities. The forum then continued with two different discussion panels.

The first panel, held under the title “National Approach to Environmental Problems, Solutions, and the Role of NGOs in This Work,” featured presentations and speeches from representatives of local environmental organizations, followed by discussions on the topic.

In the second part of the day, another panel was held on the topic “Today and Tomorrow of Cooperation Between NGOs and State Structures in Environmental Protection in Azerbaijan.”

At the conclusion of the forum, held for the first time in our country, the “Declaration of the 1st Azerbaijan Environmental Forum” was adopted.