Azerbaijan, Ethiopia hold talks on preparations for WUF13 in Baku photo

Meetings were held in Ethiopia as part of preparations for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), which will take place in Baku.

According to domestic media, citing the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ethiopia, the discussions involved Ethiopia’s Minister of Urban Development and Infrastructure, Chaltu Sani Ibrahim; Mayor of Addis Ababa Adanech Abiebie; Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Claver Gatete; African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Moses Vilakati; as well as other senior officials.

The Azerbaijani side was represented by Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ruslan Nasibov; Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Kenya and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Sultan Hajiyev; and the Director of UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Africa, Umar Silla. UN-Habitat is the main UN organiser of WUF.

During the meetings, participants were provided with detailed information on WUF13, including the preparation process, planned initiatives, upcoming events and activities, as well as opportunities for participation and cooperation.

Special emphasis was placed on the importance of the forum, which will be held under the theme “Housing for All: Safe and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements,” as a key platform for strengthening international cooperation in sustainable urban development and showcasing Azerbaijan’s contribution to global processes in partnership with international stakeholders.

The discussions also highlighted Azerbaijan’s interest in expanding cooperation with African countries in the field of urban development within the framework of WUF13. Azerbaijan was described as a globally recognised champion of urbanisation.

In addition, during most of the meetings, participants underscored that Azerbaijan’s experience and initiatives under COP29, as well as its work in sustainable urbanisation and addressing the interconnected impacts of climate change, are of particular relevance to the organisation of COP32 in Ethiopia. A high level of interest in cooperation in this area was expressed.

As part of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation also took part in an event held in Addis Ababa with international partners under Kenya’s initiative “Building Climate Resilience of the Urban Poor” (BCRUP).

By Tamilla Hasanova