Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28. A special session
was held at the UN General Assembly on the occasion of March 30 –
International Day of Zero Waste, Trend reports, citing the Permanent mission of
Azerbaijan to UN.
The
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“I am privileged to start by expressing our appreciation to the
Permanent Mission of Türkiye, the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) for co-organizing this important event to observe the
International Day of Zero Waste. We commend the leadership of the
brotherly Republic of Türkiye, in particular the personal
dedication of First Lady Emine Erdogan, whose efforts have been
pivotal in scaling up the zero waste initiative from a national
policy into a global movement.
Indeed, the concept of “zero waste” stands as a cornerstone in
our journey towards achieving the SDGs and fostering a greener
planet. Azerbaijan has taken concrete steps to accelerate progress
across several SDGs, including the initiatives to support local
circular economy projects, promote sustainable textile production
and reduce waste through innovation and education,” he noted.
He said that the Zero Waste initiative gained significant global
momentum during COP29 in Baku last November.
“One of the most notable steps in this regard was the
collaborative pavilion launched by Azerbaijan and Türkiye in the
Green Zone, as a testament to our shared resolve to foster global
environmental progress through collective action.
Additionally, COP29 saw the adoption of the Declaration on
Reducing Methane from Organic Waste, underscoring that addressing
and reversing the current surge in global waste generation requires
comprehensive action on waste prevention and the implementation of
zero waste practices. In this context, it is also vital to
recognize the critical intersection between urbanization, zero
waste, and climate change. The Multisectoral Actions Pathways (MAP)
Declaration for Resilient and Healthy Cities as part of the COP29
Action Agenda was developed to promote multisectoral cooperation in
addressing climate challenges within cities, create coherence in
urban climate efforts and stimulate urban climate finance.
Looking ahead, the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, which
Azerbaijan will proudly host next year, will serve as another key
platform to reinforce our shared commitments—particularly in
promoting sustainable urban development, zero waste initiatives and
the creation of climateresilient cities”, he said.