Azerbaijan, UN discuss climate, water cooperation in high-level meeting

Azerbaijan’s presidential representative on climate issues, Mukhtar Babayev, held a meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, Retno Marsudi, on the sidelines of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).

“Exchanged on the rapidly growing importance of water-related challenges across economies and societies, as climate change increasingly affects water availability, food security, energy systems, ecosystems and urban development,” Babayev wrote on the social media platform X.

Pleased to meet with @RetnoLPMarsudi, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, on the sidelines of #WUF13 in Baku.

Exchanged on the rapidly growing importance of water-related challenges across economies and societies, as climate change increasingly affects water… pic.twitter.com/4p19u27DJu

— Mukhtar Babayev (@Mukhtar_Babayev) May 18, 2026

He noted that the sides discussed the need for transboundary water cooperation, integrated water resources management, and strengthening international dialogue to respond more effectively to rising climate- and water-related pressures, as well as the importance of keeping water issues consistently on the agenda of future COP conferences.

“In this context, also reflected on outcomes achieved at COP29, including the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action and the COP29 Declaration on Water for Climate Action, which helped further elevate water within the global climate agenda,” he added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada