On 27 March 2024, Secretary of Commission on Environment, Natural Resources and Health Protection Aynura Abutalibova took part at the Conference on International Day of Zero Waste held at United Nations Office in Geneva. The Conference moderated by Chief of Geneva Office at UN-Habitat Graham Alabaster was held on the occasion of the second observation of the International Day of Zero Waste, aligned with the objectives of raising awareness of national, subnational, regional and local zero-waste initiatives.

Participants from TURKPA member states, as well as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan attended the Conference.

Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland Amb. Güven Begeç, Director for Europe of UN Environment Programme Arnold Kreilhuber delivered opening remarks.

First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye, Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste Emine Erdoğan addressed the opening ceremony through a video message.

Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (UN Climate Change COP29 Host) to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva Dilara Abdullayeva, President of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Member of the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Zero Waste Carlos Silva Filho, UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights Marcos Orellana, Deputy Executive Secretary of Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions David Ogden, Director of the Priority Action Programme on Just Transitions of the International Labour Organization Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Settings Lead of the Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health Unit of the World Health Organization Maggie Montgomery, Environmental Affairs Officer of the Environmental Performance Review Programme of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Elena Santer, Co-Director of the Global Cities Hub Kamelia Kemileva, President of UCLG and Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality Uğur İbrahim Altay (through video message) also addressed the Conference.

During the event, the role of Geneva as a major global hub for the governance of hazardous substances and home to several international organizations and multilateral environmental agreements aiming at reaching the zero-waste goal was highlighted.

On 14 December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution at its seventy-seventh session to proclaim 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually. Türkiye put forward the resolution and 105 other countries joined in sponsoring.

The Geneva Environment Network (GEN), that organized the Conference, is a cooperative partnership of over 100 environmental and sustainable development organizations based at the International Environment House in Geneva and the surrounding region. They include United Nations offices and programmes, intergovernmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, local authorities and academic institutions.

Established in 1999, the GEN Secretariat organizes and hosts meetings, roundtables, briefings and workshops promoting the dissemination of information and public awareness on environmental issues.

The GEN Secretariat is supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).