WUF13 is truly global in scale.
elchi reports that this was stated by Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture and national coordinator of WUF13, during his speech at the official opening press conference held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
He noted that as of May 17, a total of 42,367 people from 182 countries had registered: “On the first day of the forum, May 17, the number of participants was 21,108. The forum has also been enriched with a very active Urban Expo. Here, national governments, city administrations, international organizations, academic circles, innovators, and private sector leaders are showcasing practical solutions and partnerships.
Urban Expo statistics demonstrate the great interest in the forum. The total exhibition area is approximately 35,000 square meters, about half of which is exhibition space. In total, 260 participating organizations from 85 countries are represented in 122 stands and pavilions. By partner categories, 15 are academia and research institutions, the largest group consists of 136 civil society representatives, 44 private sector representatives, including 14 startups, are participating, and there are 41 national government pavilions, 10 public sector companies, and 6 local and regional government representatives.
The Azerbaijan pavilion, set up on a 1,500-square-meter area at the Urban Expo, will showcase our heritage, our urban development path, our tourism potential, and the large-scale reconstruction projects being implemented in Karabakh and East Zangezur.”
He stated that the pavilion was prepared based on the concept of “from vision to action – together with people” and presents Azerbaijan’s urban transformation journey: “Within the framework of WUF13, we are also proud to present new initiatives that reflect Azerbaijan’s contribution and the evolving spirit of the forum.”