Within the framework of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) a side event hosted by Azerbaijan was held  at the UN Headquarters in New York. The roundtable was organized under the topic “Baku Climate Coalition – Green Transition for SMEs: Empowering Women.”

The event was jointly organized by Azerbaijan's Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA), the Statistical, Economic, and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Permanent Mission of the OIC to the United Nations.

The event discussed the empowerment of women and the adaptation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the green transition, with additional information shared about Azerbaijan's socio-economic development and the reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories.

The roundtable was moderated by Atilla Karaman, a representative of the SESRIC. The event featured speeches from Zahra Zumrut Selchuk, Director-General of SESRIC and former Minister of Family, Labor, and Social Services of Turkey; Ambassador Tofiq Musayev, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to the UN; Rufat Atakishiyev, Deputy Chairman of the SMBDA; Jeyran Rahmatullayeva, Head of the Apparatus of the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs; Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the UN South-South Cooperation Office (UNOSSC); Ambassador Hamid Ajibaiye, Permanent Observer of the OIC to the UN; as well as representatives from UN bodies and accredited NGOs.

Jeyran Rahmatullayeva, Head of the Apparatus of the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs, stated that one of Azerbaijan's five national priorities for socio-economic development by 2030 is being recognized as a “Clean Environment and Green Growth Country.” She discussed the reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories and the transformation of the region into a green energy zone, highlighting the construction of new settlements based on the "Smart City" and "Smart Village" concepts.

She also mentioned that last year Azerbaijan declared the “Year of Solidarity for a Green World.” Furthermore, she emphasized that the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs has conducted training in the fields of economics and management for women as part of the National Action Plan on Gender Equality. She pointed out that, as a result of policies focused on human capital development, women have become more actively integrated into society and state affairs. Currently, women constitute 48% of the total workforce in Azerbaijan, and female entrepreneurs make up 23%.

Rufat Atakishiyev, Deputy Chairman of the SMBDA, noted that the strategic framework plays a crucial role in enhancing women's economic opportunities and increasing their economic activity in an inclusive and socially just society. He also added that the Joint Declaration on the Green Transition, adopted within the framework of COP29 by the Baku Climate Coalition, discusses the role of SMEs in global economic development and the importance of supporting them in the transition to a green economy.

Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the UN South-South Cooperation Office (UNOSSC), Hamid Ajibaiye, Permanent Observer of the OIC to the UN, and Zahra Zumrut Selchuk, Director-General of SESRIC, all discussed the importance of SME development, the role of women, and the implementation of the goals set during COP29 in this regard.