On May 12, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev familiarized himself with the work carried out at the Baku Olympic Stadium in connection with the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), which will be held from May 17 to 22 under the theme “Home for All: Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements.”
“Elchi” reports that Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture Anar Guliyev and Executive Director of the WUF13 Azerbaijan Operating Company Adil Mammadov briefed the head of state on the work performed.
It should be noted that the event venue covers 53 hectares, including the Baku Olympic Stadium and the general operational perimeter formed around it. Of this, 43 hectares are planned as the main event venue, and 10 hectares as the main transport terminal and parking-transfer zone. Registration, sessions, exhibitions, media, transport, technical support, volunteers, and venue services have been organized as a unified operational system.
Special zones have been allocated for high-level guests and delegations. These include dedicated spaces for receiving state and government representatives, bilateral meetings, rest areas, and catering services.
The event hall, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held, will be able to accommodate up to 6,000 participants. The current level of preparation allows for the proper planning of the forum’s high participant flow, numerous parallel events, and receptions for international delegations. The zone where the forum’s main discussions and parallel events will take place covers an area of 3.55 hectares and is intended for meeting rooms, thematic sessions, UN events, parallel meetings, and bilateral negotiations. There are facilities here for holding various formats of official and business meetings simultaneously. During the forum, it is planned to hold approximately 300 parallel sessions, meetings, and events per day.
In addition to the 6 official UN languages—Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish—simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Azerbaijani and Turkish. At the same time, international sign language services are provided for persons with disabilities.
More than 35 catering points have been planned across the entire event area, located in both indoor venues and open-air zones, allowing for the distribution of participant flow in various directions and ensuring service accessibility at the venue.
In the zone covering two hectares, in addition to the “Media Center,” there are “Round Table,” “Special Session,” and “Dialogue Halls.” The “Media Center” includes a workspace, live broadcast and interview rooms, a press conference hall, TV studios, and a media lounge. The total capacity of the “Media Center” is 600 people. 400 media representatives can work here simultaneously.
A rest zone has also been created in the area. The overall visual and architectural approach of the zone uses elements inspired by Icherisheher (Old City) and ornaments related to Azerbaijani carpet weaving.
A WUF13 Boulevard has been created in an open-air format for forum participants. This area covers 2.5 hectares and is intended for participants to move freely, rest, use catering services, and feel the urban atmosphere at the event venue. The boulevard area also serves as a transition to the “Expo Zone” and functions as an open public space.
The “Urban Expo Zone” covers an area of 3.5 hectares. The area houses exhibition spaces for country pavilions, international organizations, government agencies, local and regional authorities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, foundations, and educational and research institutions. In total, 121 pavilions are planned, including 41 country pavilions.
The official ceremonial components of the forum were specifically taken into account in the general planning of the event venue. The Flag Square has been prepared for official ceremonies and is surrounded by fortress wall motifs to evoke a city atmosphere.
An additional 10-hectare zone covering transport terminal and parking-transfer functions has been integrated into the general operational area. Here, the management of bus and taxi services, parking, and the redirection of participants to the venue will be carried out. City transport exchange centers, electric buses, taxi services, and airport transfers have been integrated into the event’s overall transport plan.
The registration area has the capacity to serve 70 people at a time and 1,000 people per hour. Separate accreditation and registration desks are provided for persons with disabilities. Registration operations have been set up by the Azerbaijani operational team in accordance with the event’s requirements and adapted to the phased management of participant flow.
To ensure the event’s uninterrupted internet, broadcasting, and digital operational needs, primary and backup data centers, large-scale fiber-optic and internal network infrastructure, wireless network equipment, and an operational center that will work continuously have been created.
It should be noted that WUF13, co-organized by the UN Human Settlements Programme and the Government of Azerbaijan, which Baku will host, will once again turn the world’s attention to our country. So far, more than 30,000 participants from 178 countries have confirmed their attendance. At this important event, the unparalleled reconstruction and urban planning model implemented by the Azerbaijani state in Karabakh and East Zangezur, as well as the “smart city” and “smart village” concepts applied in our liberated territories, and the work done to turn these regions into a “green energy zone” will be presented to the world community as advanced examples in the field of modern urbanization and ecological restoration. It should be noted that WUF13 is also of special importance as it is the first time in WUF history that a Leaders’ Summit segment has been included in the program.