WUF13 draws over 21,000 participants on opening day, says official

On the first day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, attendance reached 21,108 participants, Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, said during a press conference dedicated to the forum’s opening ceremony in Baku.

Guliyev emphasised the global scale of the event: "According to data as of May 17, the total number of registered participants has reached 42,367 from 182 countries. The Forum has also been enriched with a dynamic Urban Expo (Urban Planning Exhibition) that brings together national governments, city administrations, international organizations, academic circles, innovators, and private sector leaders to showcase practical solutions and partnerships. The statistics of the Urban Expo reflect the great interest in the forum. The total area of the exhibition covers approximately 35,000 square meters, and roughly half of it is exhibition space. In total, 260 participating organizations from 85 countries are represented in 122 stands and pavilions."

He further noted that, when categorized by partner type, the exhibition includes 15 academia and research institutions, the largest share—136—civil society organizations, 44 private sector entities (including 14 startups), 41 national government pavilions, 10 public sector companies, and 6 local and regional government representatives.

"The Azerbaijan pavilion, designed on a 1,500-square-meter area at the Urban Expo, will showcase our heritage, our urban development journey, our tourism attractiveness, and the large-scale reconstruction projects being implemented in Karabakh and East Zangazur. The pavilion has been designed based on the concept of from vision to action together with people, presenting Azerbaijan's urban transformation journey. At WUF13, we are proud to present new initiatives that reflect both Azerbaijan's contribution and the evolving spirit of the forum. The key distinguishing feature of WUF13 will be its strong, high-level political engagement," he noted.

WUF13 will be held in Baku from May 17–22, organised in close cooperation between Azerbaijan and UN-Habitat, with a focus on sustainable urbanisation, smart cities, and innovative urban solutions.

By Jeyhun Aghazada