Azerbaijan, UN-Habitat sign letter of intent on WUF standards PHOTO

Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) signed a Letter of Intent to cooperate on the joint preparation of operational guidelines for hosting future sessions of the World Urban Forum based on the WUF13 Baku standards. 

The document, signed after a meeting on May 16, during which the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, received the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Anacláudia Rossbach, is intended to support future host parties in the decision-making process and enhance the operational efficiency of upcoming events by building on the successful preparation phase of WUF13 held in Baku, Caliber.Az reports via the presidential press service. 

During the meeting, Rossbach said she was deeply impressed by the work she had seen in Baku in preparation for the 13th Session of the UN World Urban Forum (WUF13). She emphasised that she welcomed the innovative approaches Azerbaijan is applying to organise the event, noting that they are laying the groundwork for a more substantive session. Expressing gratitude to the Azerbaijani side, she said she was confident that the country would host the forum magnificently.

Rossbach also recalled that COP29 had been held at a high level in Azerbaijan, and highlighted the importance of organising an event such as the World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan afterwards. She noted that COP and WUF are the largest events in the UN system and emphasised that Azerbaijan has effectively created a link between these events.

She further highly appreciated the country’s voluntary financial contributions to the activities of UN-Habitat and expressed appreciation for cooperation between Azerbaijan and UN-Habitat, including the tradition of National Urban Development forums held in the country. She expressed hope that this cooperation would continue successfully in the future.

President Ilham Aliyev, expressing gratitude for the remarks, said that all necessary steps had been taken to ensure the event is held at a high level. He recalled that just a few days earlier he had personally inspected preparations for WUF13 at the Baku Olympic Stadium and expressed hope that the event would be results-oriented.

He stated that Azerbaijan’s experience with the World Urban Forum, along with innovative approaches applied in urban planning and the large-scale reconstruction and rebuilding efforts carried out in the post-conflict conditions of the liberated territories, serve as exemplary models for other countries. He added that Azerbaijan is ready to share this experience.

During the conversation, it was noted with satisfaction that Azerbaijan supports the activities of UN-Habitat, and prospects for further cooperation between the country and the organisation were discussed.

By Sabina Mammadli