World Leaders Descend on Azerbaijan’s Capital Baku for United Nations Climate Talks

 Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)
Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)
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World Leaders Descend on Azerbaijan’s Capital Baku for United Nations Climate Talks

 Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)
Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)

World leaders are converging Tuesday at the United Nations annual climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan although the big names and powerful countries are noticeably absent, unlike past climate talks which had the star power of a soccer World Cup.

But 2024's climate talks are more like the World Chess Federation finals, lacking the recognizable names but big on nerd power and strategy. The top leaders of the 13 largest carbon dioxide-polluting countries will not appear with their countries responsible for more than 70% of 2023's heat-trapping gases.

Biggest polluters and strongest economies China and the United States aren't sending their No. 1s. The four most populous nations with more than 42% of all the world's population aren't having leaders speak.

“It’s symptomatic of the lack of political will to act. There’s no sense of urgency,” said climate scientist Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics. He said this explains “the absolute mess we’re finding ourselves in.”

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev, United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are the headliners of among the nearly 50 leaders set to speak.

But there'll be a strong showing expected from the leaders of some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Several small island nations presidents and over a dozen leaders from countries across Africa are set to speak over the two-day World Leaders’ Summit at the COP29 conference.



Saudi Arabia, Djibouti Sign Agreement to Promote, Safeguard Investments

The event is being held under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - SPA
The event is being held under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Djibouti Sign Agreement to Promote, Safeguard Investments

The event is being held under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - SPA
The event is being held under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - SPA

Saudi Arabia and Djibouti have signed an agreement to encourage and protect mutual investments, marking a significant step in enhancing economic cooperation between the two nations.
The agreement was signed by Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih and Djiboutian Secretary in Charge of Investment and Development of the Private Sector Safia Mohamed Ali Gadileh during the 28th World Investment Conference in Riyadh, SPA reported.

The event is being held under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Both officials praised the agreement, emphasizing its importance in fostering collaboration between the private and government sectors of both countries. They highlighted the agreement’s role in supporting the ambitious investment initiatives currently being pursued by the Kingdom and Djibouti.
The agreement is designed to create a secure and attractive investment environment by offering key advantages such as investment protection, national treatment, fair and equitable treatment, transparency, and access to national courts or international arbitration for dispute resolution.
By ensuring these safeguards, the agreement aims to increase the volume of mutual investments across various sectors and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.