BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Uzbekistan has
emerged as one of the most actively represented nations at the 13th
session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, with the
republic's delegation participating extensively across technical
sessions, international dialogues, and presentations dedicated to
sustainable urban development and modern town planning, Trend reports.
Aziz Erkaboyev, a representative of the National Committee for
Sustainable Urban Development and the Housing Market of Uzbekistan,
noted in an interview with Trend that participation in the global summit has
proved highly productive for the Uzbek side.
According to him, the delegation from Uzbekistan comprised
roughly 50 specialists, each deployed across various tracks of the
forum, ranging from thematic panel discussions to presentation
events and high-level expert meetings.
"We evaluate the forum as highly fruitful. Every member of our
delegation carried out a specific function, engaging directly in
dialogues, side events, and core sessions. While a portion of the
delegation has completed its assignments and returned to
Uzbekistan, other members continue their active participation in
the forum's ongoing program," he pointed out.
Erkaboyev highly praised the organizational standards of WUF13
in Baku, describing the execution of the global event as conducted
at the highest level.
The Uzbek representative directed specific attention toward the
future trajectory of municipal development. He noted that the
country is progressively shifting away from chaotic, spot-zoning
construction practices, moving instead toward the comprehensive
planning of its territories.
"Today, Uzbekistan no longer develops along the lines of
fragmented, haphazard construction. We focus our efforts on the
integrated development of territories, fully factoring in water
security, master plans, utility infrastructure grids, and the
synchronized construction of schools, kindergartens, and
residential quarters," he explained.
One of the cornerstone initiatives showcased by the republic at
the Baku forum was the architectural model for "New Tashkent," a
massive urban development project expanding across approximately
2,000 hectares. According to Erkaboyev, a substantial portion of
this territory has already undergone construction, with the
blueprint incorporating dedicated business districts, stadiums,
museums, universities, green parks, and modern residential
sectors.
Outlining the primary municipal development priorities for the
coming decade, the expert stressed that the success of structural
urban reforms relies not merely on financial capital, but
fundamentally on human capital.
"We require high-level specialists, visionary architects, and
industry professionals. Most importantly, it demands a strong
commitment from leadership to systematically advance this sector,"
the Uzbek official concluded.
WUF13 is taking place in Baku from May 17 through 22 as part of
a collaboration between the United Nations Human Settlements
Program (UN-Habitat) and the Azerbaijan government. WUF13 features
121 pavilions, including 41 national pavilions, with over 40,000
participants registered from 182 countries. The forum is dedicated
to the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” and addresses such important issues as the global
housing crisis, sustainable urbanization, urban resilience, the
impact of climate change on cities, and modern urban
governance.
