Online Reporter
President Mnangagwa is in Baku, Azerbaijan, to attend the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the Conference of the Parties (COP29).
COP29 runs from November 11 to November 22.
Our Political Editor Kuda Bwititi is in Azerbaijan and we will be giving you live updates. The conference officially opens tomorrow.
The conference’s agenda is on funding of climate action.
Zimbabwe, like other developing countries, is reeling under the effects of climate change, which is causing frequent:
droughts
cyclones
floods
heatwaves
In a report released just ahead of the COP29 climate talks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres saidthere is need to unlock a new climate finance goal at COP29, as developed countries should double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025.
Zimbabwe requires US$100 billion to be a climate resilient nation by 2030 and is hoping to benefit from funding proposals that will be deliberated at the high-level summit.
President Mnangagwa meets Azerbaijan counterpart
SADC chair President Mnangagwa has met his Azerbaijan counterpart President Ilham Aliyev in a high-level engagement that will bolster the country’s engagement and reengagement agenda.
The two leaders met on Sunday afternoon at the Baku Olympic Stadium, which is the main venue for the Conference of the Parties (COP29).
Speaking soon after the meeting, President Mnangagwa said as developing countries, Zimbabwe and Azerbaijan have a lot in common.
As the chairperson of SADC, President Mnangagwa is expected to play a prominent role at COP29.
In the SADC region and around the world, the impact of climate change is intensifying, with the most vulnerable people hardest hit.
COP29 is expected to see developed nations increasing financing to developing countries to mitigate against the effects of climate change.
President meets Zim nationals in Azerbaijan
President Mnangagwa has met Zimbabwean nationals living in Azerbaijan as he continues to interact with the diaspora community as part of his mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
The President met the Zimbabwean citizens at his hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan, ahead of the COP29 climate change conference that will officially open tomorrow.
Under the Second Republic, President Mnangagwa has prioritised engagement with the diaspora community so that they can share skills, knowledge, and expertise acquired abroad to contribute in the development of this country.
Diaspora remittances have become a significant part of the economy, as Zimbabweans living abroad send over US$1 billion back home annually.
