The Nizami Ganjavi International Center partnered with the UN Alliance of Civilizations for the 10th Global Forum.
The Forum was held from November 25-27, 2024, in the city of Cascais, Portugal. Over 20 members of the Center participated under the leadership of the Center's Co-Chairs, former President of Latvia Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, and World Bank Vice President Dr. Ismail Serageldin.

Among the participants of the meeting were former Presidents of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev; former Presidents of Serbia Boris Tadić; former Presidents of Latvia Valdis Zatlers and Egils Levits;  former President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanić; former President of North Macedonia George Ivanov; former President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović; Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN and former Prime Minister Zlatko Lagumdžija; former Prime Minister of Belgium Yves Leterme; former Prime Minister of Senegal Aminata Touré; former Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou; former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria and European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner; former Defense Minister of Montenegro Milica Pejanović-Durisic; former Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia Eka Tkeshelashvili; former Secretary General of the League of Arab States Amr Moussa; former President of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa; and former President Volkan Bozkır; UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Hedva Ser; Secretary-General of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center Rovshan Muradov, and the Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer Rza Aliyev.

During their visit to Portugal, the Center's members discussed the results of COP29, which had taken place in the preceding days, and preparations for the upcoming XII Global Baku Forum.

Also, within the framework of the 10th UNAOC Global Forum, a meeting was held with the Secretary-General of the UN, H.E. António Guterres. The discussion focused on how to support the Alliance of Civilizations, UNAOC dialogue, understanding, and the outcomes of COP29. A clear message was conveyed that everyone should be mobilized on the climate crisis.

NGIC Secretary General Rovshan Muradov and Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer Rza Aliyev had a productive dinner with Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2006), ahead of COP29.
Discussions focused on NGIC's role in COP29 and the upcoming XII Global Baku Forum. 

As part of his official visit to Azerbaijan, H.E. Jakov Milatović, President of Montenegro, visited the HQ of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center ahead of COP29.

During the visit, the Center presented its special publication on the legacy of Nizami Ganjavi, The Magic of the Pen: Selected Miniatures from the Khamsa of Nizami Ganjavi. They discussed the upcoming XII Global Baku Forum, COP29, and other future events.

 The Nizami Ganjavi International Center was honored to welcome Miguel Angel Moratinos, Under-Secretary-General and high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), along with Nihal Saad, Director of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, at NGIC Headquarters.

During the meeting, discussions centered on our partnership and the upcoming X Global Forum in Cascais, Portugal.

NGIC Board Member Boris Tadic, represented the Nizami Ganjavi International Center at the 18th G20 Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, under the theme "Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet."

In the discussions, G20 leaders underscored the urgency of global mobilization against climate change, reaffirming commitments to the Paris Agreement and carbon neutrality goals. They emphasized the need to increase both public and private green financing, particularly for developing countries, and stressed that reforming the international financial architecture is crucial for supporting climate action.

Zlatko Lagumdza, a board member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, participated in the eighth Economic Forum of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024, where he delivered key remarks on COP29 Azerbaijan. The Forum, organized in collaboration with NGIC, focused on the growth and development plan on the path to the European Union with the implementation of the Pact for the Future, which is based on the principles of sustainable development, inclusiveness, and regional cooperation. It particularly focused on strengthening institutional capacities, improving the business environment, and enhancing the living standards of citizens.

In his address, Zlatko Lagumdza emphasized, “We remain committed to advancing the path of sustainable development, peace, and prosperity together. We extend our gratitude to the UN and UNDP teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their dedication and look forward to even closer cooperation in the future.”

Board Member of NGIC and COP29 Advisory Committee Member, Jean Baderschneider, Secretary General of the NGIC, Rovshan Muradov and Secretariat Members have been received by Secretary-General of the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva

The 30th High-Level Meeting of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center was held within the framework of the 79th UN General Assembly.

The 30th High-Level Meeting, dedicated to the theme "Trust and Global Governance Climate Action: Linking The UN Summit of the Future with COP29," was held in New York within the framework of the UN General Assembly. In addition to the former leaders of the United Kingdom, Latvia, Türkiye, Bulgaria, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Israel, Finland, Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia, representatives from the World Health Organization, the UN Sustainable Development Program, the UN Migration Agency, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees participated in the meeting. The event also saw the participation of the Presidents of the 67th, 73rd, 75th, and 77th sessions of the UN General Assembly: Vuk Jeremic, President of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (2007-2012); Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador (2017-2018); Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly; Minister of European Union Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (2015-2016); Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly.

The panels discussed topics such as "Retooling Global Governance: How to translate the Pact of the Future into transformative action," "A new EU shaped by WAR," "The forgotten crises and conflicts," "Women’s role and leadership in the multilateral system," "Navigating Migration: Addressing Displacement in times of multiple crises," "COP29: Climate Finance – NCQG: gaps and opportunities," "COP29: Addressing justice and equity for an effective response to the climate crisis," and "What does it take to build an effective global health governance: Delivering the Pandemic Accord the World Needs." The discussions also covered preparation for COP29, commitment to keeping global warming below 1.5°C, and energy transition initiatives.

The traditional "Nizami Ganjavi International Award" was presented to Theresa May, Prime Minister of the UK (2016-2019), in recognition of her outstanding contributions to promoting gender equality and her unwavering commitment to public service. In addition, Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, Vaira-Vike Freiberga, was presented with the "Hans J. Morgenthau Award" by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy in recognition of her contributions to international peace and security, political order, and public service.

Nizami Ganjavi International Center Members Boris Tadić, President of Serbia (2004-2012); Walter Fust, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (1993-2008); and Secretary-General Rovshan Muradov, along with Senior Advisor Rza Aliyev, held a meeting with International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. The discussion with the International Telecommunication Union focused on the importance of digital transformation, with 1/3 of the world still not connected to the internet. The risk of internet fragmentation was highlighted, and the need for a Global Digital Compact on internet governance, challenges related to climate issues, the upcoming COP29, and the XXX High-Level Meeting in New York were also discussed.

Member Boris Tadić, President of Serbia (2004-2012); Secretary-General Rovshan Muradov; and Senior Advisor Rza Aliyev of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center held discussions with the World Trade Organization on multilateralism, the XXX High-Level Meeting in New York, and COP29. They emphasized that climate change is a global environmental challenge that calls for collective solutions, multilateral cooperation, and coherent action in alignment with the international community's broader ambitions for economic growth and sustainable development. Trade and trade policy can and must be part of the policy 'toolbox' to achieve shared climate goals at the depth and speed required by the climate emergency. Trade plays a crucial role in the transition to a global low-carbon economy and a greener, more sustainable society.