On May 18, a number of important events were held within the framework of the second day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) organized in Baku.
Modern.az reports that the official opening ceremony of WUF13 took place. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the event. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif welcomed the heads of state and government, and heads of delegations participating in the Session. A joint photo was taken after the welcoming ceremony.
Then, a video clip prepared by UN-Habitat and dedicated to the opening of WUF13 was shown, and a cultural program was presented. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev spoke at the event. In his speech, he stated that there were more than 45,000 registered participants from 182 countries. At the same time, he stated: "Since 2022, we have held three national urban planning forums with the UN Human Settlements Program in Azerbaijan, in cities that have been under occupation for many years - Aghdam, Zangilan, and Khankendi." Speaking about the path of restoration of the liberated territories over 5 years, President Ilham Aliyev spoke in detail about the Great Return Program, which is currently a priority for the Azerbaijani government.
Video messages addressed to the opening ceremony by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock were shown.
Following the opening ceremony, leaders' statements were made. During their speeches, the leaders of the countries participating in the WUF13 event expressed their gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev, highly appreciating the high level of organization of the WUF13 event and Azerbaijan's initiatives in the field of urban planning.
Within the framework of the day's program, a press conference dedicated to the opening of WUF13 was held. The conference was attended by Anaklaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and National Coordinator of WUF13, as well as Nga Kor Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia and Acting President of the UN-Habitat Assembly. Issues such as building sustainable and inclusive cities, providing affordable housing, challenges posed by rapid urbanization, reconstruction in post-conflict areas, "smart urban planning" and international cooperation were brought to the attention of local and foreign media representatives.
Following the conference, a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicated to the opening of the "Urban Expo" exhibition was held with the participation of Anaklaudia Rossbach and Anar Guliyev. The "Urban Expo" exhibition, which presents innovative approaches in the fields of urban planning and housing, showcases nearly 130 pavilions with the participation of 260 organizations and institutions from 82 countries. In total, national pavilions representing 41 countries are displayed at the exhibition. The largest of them, the Azerbaijani pavilion covering an area of 1500 square meters, was met with great interest by the participants.
Diverse participation, unified vision
Bringing together more than 25,000 participants from 162 countries in both in-person and online formats during the first two days, WUF13 is considered one of the largest World Urban Forums.
WUF13 once again confirms its role as a leading global platform for dialogue and action in sustainable urban development with broad international participation across various regions and sectors. The Forum also places special emphasis on maintaining gender balance among speakers - 56% of invited speakers are women, and 44% are men.
WUF13, held from May 17-22 under the theme "Living Places for All: Safe and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements," is co-organized by the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Forum brings together thousands of participants, including heads of state and government, ministers, mayors, business representatives, academic circles, and civil society representatives.
