Baku hosts int'l conference on youth role in urban planning, decolonisation

An international conference on “The Role of Youth in Urban Planning in the Decolonisation Process,” organised by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), is being held in Baku.

The conference will be remembered as the first international event of the Global South Youth Platform, created by young representatives from various countries of the world on the initiative of BIG, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

For the first time, the UN Youth Office is also represented at the conference with its delegates. The event brings together participants from a total of 22 countries, including members of the Global South Youth Platform representing current and former colonies — young researchers, international law specialists, healthcare professionals, representatives of pro-independence political parties and organisations, youth leaders, and university students.

During the event, discussions focus on strengthening more coordinated mechanisms to address the ongoing impacts of colonialism and neocolonialism among youth from different regions, expanding networking within the Global South Youth Platform, and transforming international solidarity into practical and effective platforms.

At the same time, views are exchanged on improving youth organisation at a higher level, placing systemic discrimination and human rights violations faced by minorities on the international agenda, and advancing concrete, results-oriented international initiatives to address these issues.

By Jeyhun Aghazada