Kyrgyzstan promotes mountain agenda at COP30 in Brazil

Kyrgyzstan chairs the Mountain Group under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

During the first week, November 11-15, Dinara Kemelova, representing Kyrgyzstan at high-level meetings, delivered keynote statements at plenary and thematic events, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen international cooperation and climate finance for mountain regions.

She emphasized that mountain ecosystems, where critical water towers are located, harbor unique biodiversity and fragile cryospheres that are subject to accelerated climate impacts, requiring coordinated action by member states of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

On November 14, multilateral consultations on mountains and climate change were held, organized by the Brazilian Chairmanship based on Kyrgyzstan's proposal to continue the Mountain Dialogue. Many countries noted Kyrgyzstan's leadership in advancing the mountain agenda and supported the initiatives of the Kyrgyz Republic, put forward on behalf of the Mountain Group in partnership with Bhutan and Nepal. More than 70 representatives from 30 countries and interested organizations participated in these consultations.

At the Third High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Finance, the Kyrgyz delegation, emphasizing the importance of facilitating developing countries' access to climate finance and doubling assistance for adaptation measures, proposed establishing a global hub in Bishkek to build capacity and enhance the resilience of mountain countries to climate change.

A key event at COP30 was the signing ceremony of an agreement between ADB and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to implement the $250 million Glacier to Farm (G2F) project, which will be implemented in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Pakistan to enhance the adaptation and resilience of farmers and vulnerable populations in mountain regions to climate change.

The Kyrgyz delegation also participated in five thematic events on global priorities for mountain ecosystems, glaciers, the cryosphere, carbon programs and forest conservation, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity conservation, and strengthening Central Asia's climate action in the context of the updated NDC 3.0.

Furthermore, the Kyrgyz delegation is actively participating in the COP30 negotiation process, advocating for the inclusion of the mountain agenda in the conference's outcome documents, thereby confirming its leadership in advancing the mountain agenda in climate processes.

Earlier it was reported by Qazinform News Agency, 143 delegations to attend Brazil's climate summit ahead of COP30.