As part of COP29, a series of events were held to promote international partnerships and resources aimed at advancing climate action in Africa. The Chairperson of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA), Inara Valiyeva, delivered a speech at an event hosted at the Africa Pavilion.
Highlighting the importance of inter-agency cooperation in the digitalization of public services in Azerbaijan, Valiyeva emphasized her agency’s active role in integrating private sector digital solutions into public services.
She underscored the potential to share Azerbaijan’s advanced experiences from the past two years with African countries: “Countries from the African continent are interested in our digital government products, and we are ready to engage in experience exchange both in implementing digital solutions and regulating digital transformation mechanisms.”
Valiyeva drew attention to citizen-centric digital solutions such as “myGov,” Digital Document Circulation (DDC), and “digital.bridge,” which not only promote convenience, transparency, and efficiency but also positively impact environmental conservation. For instance, DDC saves approximately 2,000 trees annually, while “digital.bridge” preserves about 10,000 trees each year.
The event at the Africa Pavilion also featured speeches and panel discussions with notable figures, including Francesco Corvaro, Italy’s Special Envoy for Climate Change; Diep Nguyen-van Hout, General Manager for Innovation and Business Development at the International Finance Corporation;
Jochen Flasbarth, Secretary of Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; and Gianpiero Nacci, Director of Sustainable Business and Infrastructure at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Discussions focused on sustainable development in Africa, with an emphasis on mitigating the effects of climate change in areas such as energy, food security, efficient resource utilization, and climate financing.
At another COP29 event, Elnur Mammadli, Head of the Digital and Business Transformation Management Department at IDDA, provided a detailed overview of four Azerbaijani digital government products: “myGov,” DDC, “digital.bridge,” and “digital.login.”
During his speech, Mammadli highlighted that these digital solutions significantly reduce paper usage among government agencies, helping to save thousands of trees annually.
“Digital public services also minimize the need for transportation to physical service centers, thereby substantially reducing carbon emissions,” he noted. Mammadli emphasized the applicability of Azerbaijan’s successful digital experiences in African countries.
The panel session addressed questions from participants interested in Azerbaijan’s digital government solutions and explored potential partnership opportunities.
The event also included speeches from Lai Yahaya, CEO of the Africa Climate Fund; Iva Nilsson, Green Growth Lead at Denmark’s “State of Green” organization; Andrew Minson, Director of Sustainability at the Global Cement and Concrete Association; and Emeka Vitalis Obi, Permanent Secretary at Nigeria’s Ministry of Budget and National Planning. These speakers discussed various initiatives and projects by their respective organizations to address ecological challenges in African countries. Representatives from Nigeria’s government, private sector, and NGOs were also present.
At a subsequent event attended by African representatives, Salar Imamaliyev, Advisor to the Chair of IDDA, participated in a panel session alongside delegates from Uganda’s government, private sector, and NGOs. Imamaliyev shared insights on Azerbaijan’s digital solutions and their potential applications in African countries.
