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21^st Conference of UN on Climate Change (COP21) is held in Paris.

Azerbaijan’s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and Foundation’s Vice-president, founder and head of IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva attended the Conference, December 4.

Secretary General of COP21 Conference, ambassador Pierre Henri Guignard greeted Mehriban Aliyeva and Leyla Aliyeva.

Up to 150 heads of states and governments attended the event, which testifies to the significance of the Conference and urgency of the issues introduced for discussion. One of the subjects introduced for discussion at the Conference was reduction of the greenhouse gases around the globe and holding discussions on challenges associated with the climate change.

Mehriban Aliyeva and Leyla Aliyeva acquainted themselves with pavilions of various countries installed in the area where the Conference took place.

Leyla Aliyeva delivered a speech at an event on the theme “Innovative approaches for low carbon development and sustainable environment” arranged by the Regional Environmental Centre for Europe in the framework of the Conference.

The event was devoted to securing sustainable development in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as to actions taken towards protection of the environment. Invited to the event as a guest, Leyla Aliyeva shared her vision of the theme and talked about the experience of IDEA Public Union in this field.

In her speech, Leyla Aliyeva touched upon the pressing environmental issues the world faces today and expressed her proposals concerning the ways of their solution. It was underscored that the international society had a moral duty before future generations to create conditions for keeping the ecosystem, rare flora and fauna species alive, and make sure that they develop. Reaching these targets is not beyond our capabilities, on the contrary, we can solve them, because human’s negative activity is the main source of the environment’s degradation.

Leyla Aliyeva said:

- There is nothing more valuable and charming than the nature. Nobody owns the nature. It’s been given to us, and it is our duty to protect it and convey to future generations. We have to cooperate in order to find ways for protecting the environment. No single country is able to solve this problem by its own.

Dear Friends, today I want to inform you of our organization, IDEA – the International Dialogue for Environmental Action - Public Union. The organization was founded four years ago in Azerbaijan. Situated at the crossroads of the East and West, Azerbaijan is a country with old traditions and rich history. Azerbaijan is a land with snow-topped mountains, rivers, lakes, large forests, meadows and lowlands. Azerbaijan enjoys 9 of the existing 11 climate zones, which ensures rich biodiversity in our country. The primary objective of IDEA is to involve the young generation in the protection of the environment, both within and outside the country.

In the speech was also emphasized that environmental perils have no border, and no state has an immune against this threat. For this reason, coordinated action of the world community is of significance.

Leyla Aliyeva gave comprehensive information to the participants of the event about Azerbaijan’s favourable geographical location, its nature, rich flora and fauna, as well as fertile climate condition. Works carried out in the country towards protecting the nature and environment and the progress observed in this field were brought to attention. In the speech was also talked about the activities of IDEA Public Union, including removing environmental challenges both in Azerbaijan and the region at large, protection of biodiversity, agitation of sustainable development, propagation of humanist attention towards animals in the society, deepening youth’s knowledge of the environment, and achievements reached in other areas.

Underlining that she had recently been awarded the title of Goodwill Ambassador of FAO – UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Leyla Aliyeva talked about the projects implemented through IDEA. She said one of the directions of the organization’s activities for the last two years has been protection of endangered animal species.

Leyla Aliyeva said:

- In Azerbaijan, we have established the Five of the Caucasus. It includes brown bear, eagle, wolf, gazelle and Caucasian leopard. Constant protection of these endangered animal species is one of the objectives of our organization. Over the course of the few years past, we have worked on reintroduction of gazelles into wilderness, hosted the first Caucasian Biodiversity Summit in Baku, and our objective here was to prevent the Caucasian leopard from extinction, following tiger. We started to cooperate with Blue Marine Foundation on the project of sturgeon-breeding and releasing into the Caspian Sea. This is going to be a very interesting project. Our main goal is to protect all these nice animal species. No technological organization, historical monument and cultural artefact we discover may be as beautiful and sacred as the nature. The nature has a capacity to heal, and it gives, requiring nothing instead. Every human being is expected to contribute to the protection of the nature and our planet as much as he can. Every small step may cause a positive change.

The speech aroused broad interest in the participants, and Leyla Aliyeva answered questions of the audience concerning our country and the activities of IDEA.

Executive director of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe Marta Szigeti Bonifert too highly appreciated IDEA’s activity and expressed a hope other organizations’ cooperation with IDEA would be fruitful. She said:

- We are pleased to have worked with a number of parties seated around this table, including IDEA. I’m hopeful Leyla Aliyeva will proceed with these works, as an important initiative, and those gathered here, joining this initiative, reach certain achievements for children and future generations. Because we can turn our planet into a better place by only joining our efforts.