PAGE at COP29

Welcome

Opening remarks

• Sahil Babayev, Minister of Labor and Social protection of Azerbaijan
• Beate Andrees, Regional Director Europe and Central Asia, International Labour Organization
• Marcos Neto, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support
• Dmitry Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNECE, Co-Chair of the UN Issue-based Coalition Europe and Central Asia Environment and Climate Change
• Eric Manzi, Deputy General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
• Sonya Mohamed Janah, Vice President for Asia, International Organisation of Employers (IOE)

Facilitator:  Ms. Noura Hamladji, Deputy Executive Secretary, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (tbc)

Session 1: Inter-regional sharing of solutions to support green jobs, sustainable enterprises, repositioning labour markets for contributing to inclusive NDCs

Sharing of Experiences

• “Achieving ambition in the Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategies and enhanced NDCs for 2025: Delivering the Climate Promise, Ms. Sangji Lee, Global Technical specialist on NDCs, Green economy and Just transition, Climate Hub, UNDP
• “Strengthening the NDCs for a just transition and decent work with sustainable enterprises”, Mr. Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Director, Priority Action programme, Just transitions towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies, ILO
• “The role of NDCs in leveraging gender equality for a just transition’, Bermet Karabaeva, Head of Labour unit, Ministry of labour, social security and migration of the Kyrgyz Republic
• ”Foresight for national action plans repositioning labour markets with enterprises and workers towards the NDCs updates”, Ian Miles, Emeritus Professor (Technological Innovation and Social Change), University of Manchester, UK

Panel reactions

• State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR, tbc)
• Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE) (tbc)
• Zhu Hongren, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of China Enterprise Confederation

Facilitator: Ms. Matilde Mordt, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Serbia

coffee break & networking

Session 2: Regional Roundtable – A Call to Action for a just transition with sustainable enterprises enhancing the NDCs’ implementation process – how to integrate climate actions that target an inclusive and gender-responsive just transition? 

• Azerbaijan, Mr. Sahil Babayev, Minister of Labor and Social protection
• Kazakhstan, Mr. Akmadi Sarbassov, First Vice-minister, Ministry of Labor, Social Protection of Population
• Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Baymurzaev Muhtarbek Arapbaevich, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of labour, social security and migration, Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova, Mr. Sergiu Lazarencu, Minister of Environment
• Tajikistan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labor, migration and employment
• Türkiye, Deputy Minister of Labour (tbc)
• Ukraine (tbc)
• Uzbekistan, Ms Rano Turdibekova, Deputy Minister, Ministry of employment and poverty reduction

Commentators:

• Jelena Vasić, Employment advisor, Labour & Employment sector, Ministry of Labour of Serbia
• PAGE funding member (tbc)
• Azar Bayramov, Director General, Labour Center of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
• Kusum Lata, Team Lead, Mitigation Impact Assessment Support Unit, The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (tbc)

Reactions from the floor

Facilitator: Ms. Nigar Arpadarai, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29 Azerbaijan (tbc)

 Closing remarks

• Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard, Enterprises Department Director, ILO. PAGE Board member
• Anar Aliyev, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labor and Social protection of Azerbaijan

Facilitator: Mr Mikhail Pouchkin, Director, ILO Office for Eastern Europe & Central Asia.

Welcome

 Opening remarks

• Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard, ILO Enterprises Department Director, PAGE Board member
• PAGE Funding Partner (tbc)
• “Troika” representative/s:
  • COP28, United Arab Emirates (tbc)
  • COP29, Mr. Elmar Mammadov, COP29 Presidency, Azerbaijan (tbc)
  • COP30, His Excellency, Manuel Adalberto Carlos Montenegro Lopes da Cruz, Ambassador of Brazil to the Republic of Azerbaijan

Facilitator: Ms. Vladanka Andreeva, the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan

Session 3: Just Transition Finance plans for reducing coal (or fossil fuels) dependency, strengthening the NDCs

Sharing of Experiences

• Mine closure and repurposing, and how to cope with abandoned mine methane, Mr Raymond Pilcher, Chair, UNECE Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane and Just Transitions
• Thailand’s Long-Term Strategy: Representative of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand
• Mongolia’s Just Transition Approach: Representative of the Ministry of Energy of Mongolia

Panel reactions

• Partnership for Action on a Green Economy (PAGE) (tbc)
• Ministry of Environment of Brazil (tbc);
• Samantha Sharpe, Associate Professor, Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), University Technology Sydney, Australia (online)
• Fredy Guayacan, Senior Specialist for Environment and Decent work, ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific and Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Open floor discussion 

Facilitator: Dr Cristina Martinez, Senior Specialist, Enterprise Development and Green Jobs, DWT Eastern Europe & Central Asia, ILO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

coffee break & networking

Session 4: Examples of Climate Plans for a Just Energy Transition and Sustainable Climate Financing in Asia-Pacific

Sharing of Experiences

• China’s Policy Support for Energy Transition, Mr. Ma Ding Ping, Chongqing Renewable Energy Society
• Indonesia’s Energy Transition Mechanism, Prof. Dr. Eng. Eniya Listiani Dewi, B. Eng, M. Eng, IPU, Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR)
• Cambodia’s climate and carbon neutrality plans for sustainable energy transition, Mr Taing Meng Eang, Director of the Department of Green Economy, General Department of Policy and Strategy at the Ministry of Environment

Panel Reactions

• Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Former Central Banker of Sri Lanka
• Mr. Joy Hernandez, Director for Communications and Advocacy, Asia Pacific Regional office, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
• Mr Jose Roland Moya, Director-General, Employers Confederation of the Philippines

 Facilitator: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (tbc)

Closing remarks

• Xiaoyan Qian, Director, ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific and Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (tbc)
• Partnership for Action of Green Economy (PAGE Board member, tbc)
• Dmitry Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNECE, Co-Chair of the UN Issue-based Coalition Europe and Central Asia Environment and Climate Change
• Mr Anar Karimov, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population, Azerbaijan

Facilitator: Mr Mikhail Pouchkin, Director, ILO Office for Eastern Europe & Central Asia