BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. The execution of the
13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku stands as a
tremendous source of pride not only for Azerbaijan but for the
entire Turkic world, Ilyas Demirci, a Turkish urban planning expert
and Chairman of the Union of Engineers and Architects of the Turkic
World (TDMMB), said, Trend reports.


He made the remark during a panel discussion titled "Developing
Azerbaijan’s First National Sustainability Standard: The
Sustainable Practices Standard (SPS)" held within the framework of
the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.


According to him, the high-level organization of the forum and
the management of such a large-scale international event in the
capital of Azerbaijan represent a significant institutional
achievement.


"Managing a global forum of this magnitude, which draws tens of
thousands of international delegates daily, remains an incredibly
complex task. I extend my sincere congratulations to everyone whose
hard work and dedication contributed to the seamless organization
of this event," he pointed out.


The official noted that humanity currently confronts severe
systemic challenges linked to accelerating climate change impacts,
prolonged droughts, devastating floods, expansive forest fires, and
other compounding environmental threats. Under these critical
conditions, he explained, modern cities must evolve strictly upon
the principles of planned urbanization, ecosystem preservation, and
structural resilience against natural disasters.


Demirci emphasized that the comprehensive protection of
freshwater resources, forest reserves, and the broader environment
constitutes a shared collective responsibility spanning all
segments of society—ranging from central government entities and
local municipalities to non-governmental organizations and
individual citizens.


He concurrently highlighted the vital necessity of raising
ecological awareness among the younger generation, noting that the
Union of Engineers and Architects of the Turkic World has actively
deployed diverse initiatives since 2006 to increase literacy
regarding global climate change consequences.


"We systematically collaborate with leading academic
universities, organizing high-level scientific symposiums and
technical meetings to educate youth on environmental threats,
natural catastrophe risks, and the foundational principles of a
sustainable lifestyle," the Turkish expert underlined.


According to Demirci, the preservation of strategic water
resources persists as one of the most critical global challenges,
given that climate change, rapid demographic growth, and irrational
consumption patterns severely intensify stress on global freshwater
reserves. To safeguard the natural environment, he concluded,
nations must fortify scientific approaches to water resource
management, scale the deployment of clean green technologies, and
heavily back regional renewable energy infrastructure projects.


Today marks the fifth day of WUF13 in Baku.







The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the
New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women
and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and
Azerbaijani flags also took place.


The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit,
featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis,
urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the
opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a
significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of
events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe
and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence
and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and
sustainable transport.


One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a
sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and
the Turkish city of Trabzon.


The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events
dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban
development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.


One of the important events of the UN Special Program for the
Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth
day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the
“Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart
Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”


Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s
initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and
Decision-Making” was held.


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.