On 24 May 2024, the fifth meeting of the Regional Network Europe & Central Asia Enterprise Development & Just Transition took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Convened by Dr Cristina Martinez of the ILO Decent Work Support Team Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the meeting kicked-off preparations supporting Member States for COP29. The meeting was attended by ILO National coordinators and interested colleagues from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, Turkey.
The meeting participants discussed the ILO’s plan and programming for CoP29 preparation, as well as the role of tripartite constituents in SDG Localization through South-South Cooperation for COP29.
In his opening remarks Mr. Adilet Amantaev, Director, Center of climate financing under the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan highlighted that: “Kyrgyzstan has set ambitious measures to achieve sustainable development. By 2030, the country aims to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40% and is committed to a policy of carbon neutrality. To support these goals, Kyrgyzstan is actively promoting investment in climate change projects and preparing for COP29. A resolution outlining the preparation for COP29 has been established, and a taskforce, along with a roadmap, has been developed to guide these efforts. An interagency working group has also requested a partnership with the ILO to enhance collaboration. In alignment with COP28 outcomes, Kyrgyzstan plans to establish a national pavilion in Baku. Additionally, the country has adopted the UNFCCC mountain agenda, demonstrating its commitment to addressing specific regional climate challenges”.
Ms. Anastasiia Pavlova, Development cooperation officer, ILO PARTNERSHIPS Department, noted: “The triangular cooperation knowledge exchange was formulated to provide participating countries’ opportunities to discuss in an open, inclusive and non-prescriptive manner on the opportunities of gender responsive climate actions for a just transition to the green economy that is rich in green jobs and green enterprises. The knowledge platform will discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimize and address loss and damage, giving visibility to the ILO constituents, frontline communities and those most vulnerable, including women in the labour market to the adverse effects of climate change. The participating countries will be invited to share their experience, good practices, challenges and lessons learned in mobilizing just transition investments and financial services”.
COP29, the United Nations next climate conference in 2024, is scheduled for November 11-22 in Baku, Azerbaijan, which is located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. At COP29 parties are expected to agree on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. COP29 represents one of the last major chances to get the world back on track and hold nations accountable for delivering on their environmental targets.
As part of the preparations for COP29, a tripartite webinar on Climate Change and occupational safety and health in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection was held on 28th June. The meeting discussed the impact of climate change on occupational health and safety of the workers, as well as the importance of fundamental UN conventions in the protection of employment in member countries. Dr Cristina Martinez, Senior Specialist for Enterprise Development and Green Jobs, ILO Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia, and Mr Antonio Dos Santos, Technical Specialist on Labour Inspection and Labour Law Compliance, LABADMI/OSH branch, shared experiences about the impact of climate change on jobs, OSH and ILO’s Just Transition resolution concerning a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all as an instrument to elaborate climate plans for the future of work.
The next Network meeting will be in Baku on 24-25 July featuring a national tripartite workshop, followed by national workshops in participating countries to be arranged in August-September 2024 under the theme of “Promoting a gender-responsive just transition through knowledge-sharing and peer learning under South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for COP29 (Azerbaijan) and COP30 (Brazil)” intervention.
National workshops will convene national tripartite constituents and other relevant stakeholders for subsequent preparation of position papers by the constituents to contribute to COP29. National workshops will utilize social dialogue techniques for preparing for COP29 and sharing of experiences; familiarize with the COP process and discuss climate actions plans with the practical application of the ILO Resolution concerning a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all, and the Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all. The next workshop in Baku and webinars in Central Asian countries aim to facilitate a continuous engagement between Government, employers and workers’ organizations for practical implementation of country-specific climate action plans for contributing to COP29 and the update of the NDCs; as well as increasing South-South Cooperation ability and peer learning with a view to bridge COP 29 and COP 30.