As part of Baku Climate Action Week 2026, a high-level roundtable on "Post-COP31 Climate Leadership: Ensuring Implementation through Partnership" has been organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center. Partnering with Baku Climate Action Week for the second consecutive year, the Center continues to contribute to strengthening international dialogue and partnership in the field of climate action. Held as part of preparations for COP31, the roundtable focused on the development of global climate leadership over the past decade and the lessons learned since the Paris Agreement. Participants exchanged views on the impact of changing geopolitical conditions on international climate cooperation, turning climate commitments into concrete action, and new partnership opportunities.

The opening session of the event featured speeches by Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and former President of Latvia; Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President and Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues; and Mehmet Galip Ensarioglu, Chairman of the Environment Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye.

The panel discussion was attended by Nigar Arpadarai, COP29 High-Level Climate Champion and Member of Parliament; Christian Mensah, Senior Advisor to the COP31 High-Level Climate Champions; Jean Baderschneider, Board Member of Fortescue, former Vice President of ExxonMobil, and Board Member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center; Ismail Serageldin, Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and former Vice President of the World Bank; Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan; Zlatko Lagumdzija, Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN and former Prime Minister of the country; Patricia Scotland, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Member of the UK House of Lords; Saida Safayeva, Head of the Center for Sustainable Development in Uzbekistan; Yelena Akoltseva, Vice President for Europe and CIS at Baker Hughes; Amr Moussa, former Secretary-General of the Arab League and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt; Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium; and Leyla Hasanova, COP29 Youth Climate Champion.

During the panel, discussions focused on the impact of geopolitical changes on international climate cooperation, energy security, economic competitiveness, healthcare, food systems, technology, and sustainable development. Participants also exchanged views on strengthening cooperation among governments, international organizations, financial institutions, business, and civil society, turning climate commitments into concrete results, and accelerating implementation on the road to COP31.