Prime Minister Mark Brown is in Baku, Azerbaijan, with his climate change team to advocate for climate finance, keeping 1.5 degrees alive and transparency in negotiations at COP29.

Brown and his delegation arrived for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at Heydar Aliyev International Airport and were welcomed by Adil Karimli, Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture, along with other officials.

It was earlier reported that the Cook Islands delegation of nine people include Climate Change Cook Islands staff with director Wayne King, Office of the Prime Minister staff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, and Ministry of Finance and Economic Management and also includes another five persons from Pacific Commission (SPC) and SPREP (all Cook Islanders) that have roles at the COP.

King had said that “Each of these additional persons have to sign agreements on their role and what they can or can’t do on Cook Islands behalf if accredited to the flag.”

He confirmed that everyone attending the COP29 is being sponsored externally, including the Prime Minister.

At the 53^rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President, Azerbaijan.met Brown, where they explored ways to enhance climate resilience in the Pacific region and the key role COP29 will play in driving international support for climate-vulnerable communities.

COP29 began yesterday and ends on November 22.