BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 10. A new framework
agreement on cooperation signed between the United Nations (UN) and
the Azerbaijani government marks a new phase in their strategic
partnership, in line with the country’s national priorities, the
Head of the Resident Coordinator Office, Kanako Mabuchi, said,
Trend reports.


She made the remark at the meeting of the High-Level Joint
Steering Committee of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation
Framework in Baku today


She noted that the new document was drafted taking into account
Azerbaijan’s status as an upper-middle-income country and its
evolving needs: “The new cooperation framework marks a new phase in
the partnership between the government and the UN. It builds on 33
years of strong partnership and outlines more prioritized,
strategically focused activities for the next five years.”


Addressing the financial aspects of the program, the Head of the
Resident Coordinator’s Office announced the budget required to
achieve the set goals: “For the UN to support the government and
deliver on the outputs that we have committed to under the new
cooperation framework, at present we expect that we would require a
total of $87 million over the next five years. We have already
jointly mobilized approximately $52 million of this amount, and we
will work with government partners to secure the remaining $35
million.”







Mabuchi emphasized that the action plan covers two main
strategic areas and is fully aligned with the national priorities
of the “Azerbaijan 2030” program: “The priority area focuses on
inclusive socio-economic growth, and the second on ‘green’ growth
and climate resilience. “We will support Azerbaijan’s transition to
a more environmentally friendly and sustainable development path,
as well as the strengthening of systems to protect against climate
and environmental risks.”


In addition, Mabuchi noted that the UN’s activities in the
country have shifted to a more flexible and integrated format: “We
now have a more flexible staff in the country, and the activities
of the 12 signatory bodies are coordinated. We will continue to
support Azerbaijan’s leading role in multilateralism and climate
diplomacy, particularly in advancing regional peace and
cooperation.”