Conflicts of interest and corruption:COP29 in Azerbaijan is a farce before it begins

COP 29, the twenty-ninth annual United Nations conference on the fight against climate change, will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, between 11 and 22 November.For the first time, the event will take place in a former Soviet republic and will see between 40 and 50 thousand participants, including delegates, officials, political and economic and financial leaders and members of NGOs - an extremely high number, albeit lower than the 84 thousand participants at COP28 in Dubai last year.At the center of this year's event will be the discussion regarding funding, for which countries would be ready to negotiate a new global climate finance target, the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).As with the United Arab Emirates last year, Azerbaijan appears unlikely to be a host country for the climate initiative.Its economy is largely dependent on the extraction of fossil fuel, while its political culture, authoritarian and resistant to critical examination, is at odds with the principles of transparency and inclusion on which the United Nations system is based.Therefore, this edition of the COP also seems to be shrouded in hypocrisy, as well as being a family matter for the Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, as a large part of the companies and sponsors linked to the event are in the hands of members of his family .

COP Co-Opted, The relationship published at the end of October by Transparency International and the Anti-Corruption Data Collective, raised concerns that the framework convention «lacked protection against the influence of companies and fossil fuels in the organization of the COP of the host country".Brice Böhmer, who led Transparency International's work on climate change and governance, has stated that «without guidelines on who can be a COP partner and how conflict of interest should be managed, it is very easy for corrupt regimes to ensure that their family and friends can use the COP to clean up their records and benefit directly from the COP."

Around 5,000 Conference participants will stay in ultra-luxury rooms at the Sea Breeze Resort, on the Caspian Sea, with direct access to a seven-kilometre long beach, 50 bars and restaurants and over 60 swimming pools.The tourist complex, which covers 500 hectares, belongs to Emin Agalarov, former son-in-law of President Ilham Aliyev.If this alone may cover the event with a veil of hypocrisy, it should also be added that a large part of the companies connected to the event and the sponsors are in the hands of family members close to the president.

In fact, the official partners of COP29 include the food producer Azersun and PASHA Holding, a conglomerate spanning interests in banking, insurance and construction.PASHA Holding belongs to Leyla and Arzu Aliyeva, President Aliyev's two adult daughters.Hassan Gozal, nephew of Abdolbari Gozal, president of Azersun, was a director of three companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands on behalf of Aliyeva sisters, second an investigation of the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists.

Two other sponsors of the climate conference are Silk Way West Airlines and a textile company called GILTEX.The airline is ultimately owned by a former state official, Zaur Akhundov, while Arzu Aliyeva, daughter of the Azerbaijani president, was one of the three owners of Silk Way Bank, the former financial arm of Silk Way Group, of which the air carrier leaves.GILTEX, which controls up to 70% of the local textile market, was part of a conglomerate called Gilan Holding. An investigation of the 2018 OCCRP revealed that President Aliyev's daughters, through a company registered in the United Arab Emirates, had a majority stake in Gilan Holding together with the children of Kamaladdin Heydarov, Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan, and member of the COP29 organizing committee.

Bank ABB, formerly known as the International Bank of Azerbaijan, is the Principal Banking Partner of COP and said it aims to use “the insights and partnerships forged at COP29” to “promote financial solutions that support environmental, social and economic stability”.The bank made headlines for its role in the "Azerbaijani laundromat" scandal involving laundering of 2.9 billion dollars. SOCAR Green, Energy Transition Partner of the event, is a clean energy subsidiary of Azerbaijan's state oil company.Again, the two sponsors are an emblem of corruption, lack of transparency and hypocrisy in the holding of the United Nations climate conference.

Amnesty International has also reported how Azerbaijan has a long history of limitation on freedom of expression, association and assembly.Peaceful protests, including those held by environmental groups, have always been harshly repressed and more than 300 people are currently jailed on politically motivated charges.The work of journalists it is severely hampered by draconian laws and the constant threat of retaliation. Most independent media have been eliminated, as well as large swaths of Azerbaijan's civil society.Torture and other ill-treatment in detention are widespread in Azerbaijan and impunity is entrenched.

In short, these are the ingredients of the United Nations COP29 which will be held shortly in Azerbaijan.Not exactly suited to the credibility and success of the climate conference.

[by Michele Manfrin]