Baku Azerbaijan, 18 March – Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General (DDG) for Operations of IOM, visited Baku from 14 to 16 March to attend two major fora and deliver the main message that climate action must prioritize people.

Ahead of this year’s COP29 climate change conference, which will take place in Baku, she noted that it is imperative to increase awareness of the government on adverse impacts of climate change on people, to coordinate global efforts and carry out climate policies and actions that focus on people.

“Daily, many migrants have to choose between food, health and water. But safe water and sanitation are basic human rights and must be prioritized as part of climate action”, she told attendees at Baku Water Week where she addressed global water challenges and climate change.

More than 20 million people are displaced every year due to climate related events around the world, with almost half the world experiencing serious water shortages at some time each year. IOM provides water and sanitation services to more than 13.3 million people, but many more need help. Scaling up access to sustainable finance for human mobility is key for people to adapt.

DDG Daniels stressed IOM's commitment to helping the Azerbaijani government enhance water security. As one of the driest countries in the region, it is important to strengthen local adaptation measures that stem from a country’s cultural heritage, she noted. For that purpose, IOM has been repairing kahrizes, eco-friendly underground water systems, that supply drinking and irrigation water to thousands of households in isolated areas.

DDG Daniels joined the panel discussion on ‘Financing Our Survival: Climate Justice’ at the eleventh Global Baku Forum, which hosted 400 guests from 70 countries, such as current and former leaders, Nobel winners, and members of international organizations and civil society. She emphasized the need for inclusive financial instruments to avert, minimize, and address loss and damage caused by climate change, which is something IOM has been given co-responsibility for under COP28.

DDG Daniels meeting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Photo by MFA Azerbaijan

While in Baku, DDG Daniels met with high-ranking officials from the Azerbaijani government, including the  Foreign Minister, the Chairperson of State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, the Chief of State Migration Service, the Head of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration and the Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources.

She expressed IOM’s support for the Government of Azerbaijan in preparing for COP29 and fulfilling its international obligations to the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Compact for Migration.

During her visit, DDG Daniels also visited a children’s shelter supported by IOM, where she met with vulnerable children, many of whom come from migrant families. 

For more information please contact Tatia Khubulava tkhubulava@iom.int