Former UN-Habitat chief praises Baku coalition on urban climate action

Former Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Maimunah Mohd Sharif, has praised the establishment of the Baku Continuity Coalition on Urban Climate Action and Sustainable Urbanisation, according to local media.

“I am glad that in Baku, we have created the Baku Coalition for Continuity. This means we take the outcomes of all COPs and turn them into a coalition, continuing work within the standards of urban climate action and sustainable development. This is truly a very good achievement. It is no longer a ‘new COP29 in Baku’, but a coalition of all adopted decisions that now focuses on implementation,” she said during a session of the Baku Coalition held within WUF13 in Baku.

According to Sharif, the key priority is the transition from political declarations to practical action, as well as the need for a people-centred and integrated approach to urban development.

“Urban systems are very complex. We know the future is urbanised. Whether we like it or not, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities,” she added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada