Baku to host World Urban Forum in May 2026

The World Urban Forum (WUF13) is set to take place in Baku on May 18-22, 2026, said Anar Guliyev, Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture.

The statement was made during a meeting with Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Caliber.Az reports via local media.

A recent meeting highlighted significant progress in the partnership between UN-Habitat and Azerbaijan since the 1st and 2nd National Urban Forums held in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

This collaboration has fostered the establishment of a platform aimed at supporting sustainable urban development in the region. The parties exchanged views on joint initiatives in sustainable urban planning and outlined future objectives.

Hosting the World Urban Forum in Baku in 2026 is a testament to Azerbaijan's strong international reputation, reflecting the country's ongoing reforms in urban planning and the successful implementation of large-scale projects. This achievement also underscores Azerbaijan's valuable contributions to the global agenda.

Notably, from its inception in 2002, WUF has evolved into a vital non-legislative platform for discussions on the challenges of rapid urbanization and attracts a wide range of participants including national ministers, mayors, UN representatives, academia, civil society, grassroots groups, indigenous peoples, the private sector, and philanthropic foundations.