Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

Read more

As a Caspian coastal state, Azerbaijan is taking significant steps to protect marine ecosystems, including the establishment of the first Marine Protected Area and Hope Spot in the Caspian Sea, a 10-year ban on sturgeon fishing, and the release of millions of juvenile fish into the wild.

According to Azernews, these efforts were highlighted by Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to France, Leyla Abdullayeva, during her speech on June 11 at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. The event focused on advancing UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 — conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources.

Ambassador Abdullayeva emphasised Azerbaijan’s commitment to marine protection in the Caspian Sea and called for unified global action in addressing shared environmental challenges. She drew attention to the upcoming COP29 summit in Baku, underscoring the importance of international collaboration.

“Last year, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan hosted COP29 in Baku. This event proved that despite global divisions, strong political will and cooperation can deliver meaningful outcomes,” she said. “We adopted the Baku Financial Goal for climate funding, initiated the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and established the Loss and Damage Fund.”

Abdullayeva urged the global community to bring the same spirit to the current conference in Nice: “Oceans are the blue lungs of our planet. Protecting them is not only an ecological imperative but also an economic and humanitarian one.”

She concluded by reaffirming Azerbaijan’s commitment to ocean conservation: “We believe that through joint efforts, we can protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. This is a shared responsibility we all must uphold.”