BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. The building and
restoration work carried out in the liberated territories is a
great mission, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs
Department of the Presidential Administration, said at the event
"WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnerships and Decision-Making",
Trend reports.


"We began large-scale restoration and construction work in the
liberated areas. Ensuring safe and sustainable development in
demined areas is one of our top priorities," he noted.


According to him, thinking globally and working locally is the
main motto of NGOs.


"Azerbaijani NGOs do not operate only within the country's
borders. The Global South platform established last year deserves
special mention. I spoke to this platform on behalf of the
President last year. I am sure that your contributions and ideas
will be taken into account in the urban planning agenda and will
play an important role in shaping a new development agenda for
cities.


Our lives are connected to cities. As cities grow, population
growth and climate change create new challenges. We are also seeing
the effects of climate change in Azerbaijan. We faced unexpected
rain on the first day of the forum — which once again shows the
real effects of climate change. Cities are more exposed to these
changes.


Yesterday, President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan is a
convenient place for these discussions. The Azerbaijani people have
ancient traditions in the field of urban planning. Gabala was one
of the important cities of the ancient Silk Road. Baku is an
important center in terms of preserving cultural heritage.


At the same time, the construction and restoration work carried
out in the liberated territories is a great mission. We are writing
new history in the areas contaminated with mines. Unfortunately, in
the 20th century, cities were destroyed before our eyes, and nine
of our cities were deliberately razed to the ground. Aghdam, for
example, was called the 'Hiroshima' of the Caucasus. This city,
which was home to hundreds of thousands of people, was completely
destroyed.


Meanwhile, we are building a new life for our citizens in these
territories. Azerbaijan is truly the most suitable place for this
Urban Planning Forum. We are ready to share our experience and
learn from different experiences. Azerbaijan plays the role of a
bridge between the Global North and the Global South," he
added.


The third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum
(WUF13) is underway in Baku.


On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New
Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and
civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the
United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework
of the forum.


The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever
Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing
crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that
day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated
within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an
important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.