After successfully hosting COP29, hosting the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) is another manifestation of the trust placed in Azerbaijan’s ability to unite joint efforts in the face of common challenges.
“Elchi” reports that Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova stated this at the 5th Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network held in Istanbul.
Recalling that 2026 has been declared the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” in Azerbaijan, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis noted that Azerbaijan has rich experience in the field of urban planning:
“Today, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is implementing large-scale construction and restoration projects in Karabakh and East Zangezur, which were previously under occupation and completely destroyed. New settlements, transport, energy, and economic infrastructure in these territories are being built based on advanced urban planning principles, and innovative concepts such as ‘green energy zone’, ‘smart city’, and ‘zero waste’ are being applied here. The three national urban forums organized within the framework of the partnership with the United Nations (UN) Human Settlements Programme have played an important role as a platform for sharing experience and new initiatives, and have contributed to strengthening cooperation in this field.”
The Speaker noted that the 13th session of the World Urban Forum will serve as an interim assessment of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda:
“This event will review the last decade and define priorities until 2036.”
Sahiba Gafarova called on all members to actively participate in the Forum’s agenda and carefully consider its results in addressing the challenges associated with rapid urbanization.