Remarks by Under-Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Moratinos,
High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC),
at the Global Summit of Religious Leaders on the margins of COP29:
“World Religions for A Green Planet”
Baku, Azerbaijan, 5 November 2024
Your Eminence Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh,
Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board;
Your Excellency Mr. Mukhtar Babyev,
President of COP29 and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources;
Your Excellency Mr. Ramin Mammadov,
Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations;
I am very honored to be addressing this spectacular gathering of religious leaders and faith actors representing diverse religions and faiths across the faith spectrum.
There is undeniable richness in cultural and religious diversity and I laud His Virtue Sheihk-ul-Islam Allah-shukur Pashazade and all organizers of this event for bringing us together here.
Addressing the current complex and unprecedented global challenges require a holistic global approach that is also inclusive of all relevant stakeholders.
Climate change is one of the most urgent in the long list of those global challenges.
The government of Azerbaijan, the host of COP29, knows only too well that to address climate change, governments cannot do it alone.
Therefore, this Summit of Religious Leaders is very timely.
Faith leaders bring a unique perspective to climate change issues.
As in all other global issues, religious leaders bring to the table an aspect that is often overlooked, willingly or unwillingly and that is the human aspect.
They raise their moral voice to remind politicians of universal values such as compassion, justice and human dignity.
These values may fall between the cracks as policymakers debate financial responsibilities, climate science , and the gains and losses in the market-driven solutions.
There is a growing recognition that time is running out as biodiversity loss and environmental degradation worsen.
I cannot agree more that our world is facing a chronic climate crisis with a snowballing repercussions on lives, livelihoods and especially on indigenous and vulnerable communities.
But our world is also facing an undeniable ethical and moral crisis.
Isn’t threatening or destroying God’s creation an ethical and moral issue? Isn’t endangering the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities a crime of climate injustice?
Eminencies,
Distinguished participants,
Eighty percent of the world population identify with a religion, faith or belief.
Therefore, it is important to understand how faith and religious communities resist or respond to the climate trajectory.
Faith actors have always been in the forefront when calamities strike.
This means faith leaders and actors have great potential to educate and mobilize community members towards – or away from – sustainable living and environmental awareness.
A case in point was last year in the run-up to COP28 in Dubai. Faith and spiritual leaders representing Anglicans, Bohras, Buddhists, Jains, Jews, Sikhs, and Sunni and Shia Muslims issued the “Call of Conscience Declaration “ urging politicians, businesses and financiers to adopt a rapid, just transition away from fossil fuels.
I also recall the Shusha Declaration last May in which religious leaders called for using faith more effectively to establish peace, global dialogue and human solidarity, as well as solving problems related to climate change.
In this context, faith actors at the grassroots level, faith-based initiatives can be effective in promoting sustainable practices and raising awareness about environmental issues within the local communities. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is proud to be one of the co-chairs of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force for Religion and Development that works closely with more than 40 faith-based organizations. Their initiatives can also be effective in advocating for policy change at the local and national levels, and in promoting international cooperation on environmental sustainability.
Concluding,
Faith should not be the missing piece as we debate how to make peace with mother nature.
Faith should guide our actions as it constantly reminds us of our moral responsibility towards the vulnerable.
We all have a collective responsibility to protect the cultural diversity of this planet as much as its biodiversity.
I thank you.