Baku hosts founding conference of Global South NGO Platform
A founding conference of the Global South NGO Platform has kicked off in Baku.
At the conference, titled “Solidarity in Action: Strengthening Global South NGOs for a New and Fair World”, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, read out President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the event participants, News.Az reports, citing local media.
The forum is attended by prominent NGO leaders and representatives of civil society from 116 countries, covering around 80% of the world’s population.
The event is considered a landmark moment for the civil society of the Global South, which encompasses the regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania — two-thirds of the world's countries.
The concept was first introduced by Azerbaijan’s National NGO Forum during COP29 in November 2024. Gaining swift international momentum, the idea was endorsed by the COP29 NGO Coalition, which called on the Azerbaijani forum to formalize the platform. It marks the first time an NGO initiative led by Azerbaijan has received such widespread global support.
Azerbaijan’s recent leadership role in the Non-Aligned Movement and its advocacy for a more equitable global order—underscored by what has been dubbed the “Baku Breakthrough” at COP29—has bolstered its standing among Global South nations. The launch of this platform is seen as a defining moment in the evolution of Azerbaijan’s civil society on the global stage.
The Global South NGO Platform also reinforces Azerbaijan’s emerging role as a bridge between the Global North and South, reflecting its growing influence in international diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.
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