Colombia highly values new opportunities emerging at WUF13 – official

Colombia attaches great importance to the new opportunities and partnerships emerging within the framework of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), Colombian representative Maria Abondano Escobar said during a panel discussion in Baku at World Urban Forum 13.

She noted that authorities in the city of Cartagena place particular emphasis on engaging directly with residents when carrying out urban development initiatives, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

"Our mayor has a favorite slogan: 'Speak and listen to people.' It is the residents who guide us in developing new initiatives," the city representative emphasised.

She also pointed out that one project involved relocating more than 120 families who had lived in stilt houses for over 20 years to new social housing across different parts of the city.

"This was a difficult process, as many residents were unsure whether they would be able to pay their utility bills and adapt to a new way of life," she said.

The Colombian representative underlined that city authorities are committed to shaping urban development based on residents’ needs rather than focusing solely on the tourism sector.

"We must invest not only in tourism, but also in the city's residents themselves, because this benefits the entire city system," she concluded.

By Jeyhun Aghazada