BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. The active deployment
of green energy zones and smart village frameworks across the
liberated territories highlights Azerbaijan's systematic approach
to sustainable development and the global climate agenda, Aigun
Aliyeva, Chairperson of the Board of the Agency for State Support
to NGOs of Azerbaijan, said, Trend reports.


The official 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 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.


According to her, embedding green growth metrics directly into
the "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic
Development" strategic framework, coupled with the legacy of
hosting the COP29 climate summit, firmly anchors the country’s
consistent policy trajectory in this sector.


Aliyeva noted that the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs)—specifically Goal 11 targeting sustainable cities and
communities—clearly demonstrate that long-term development remains
structurally impossible without synchronized urban and regional
policies rooted in environmental sustainability principles.


She emphasized that current WUF13 dialogues place extensive
focus on multi-level institutional coordination, public
participation, municipal resilience, and the scaling of "green
cities."


According to Aliyeva, international practice indicates that
environmental governance standards operate effectively as robust
institutional models. Consequently, ESG (Environmental, Social, and
Governance) principles undergo deeper integration into executive
decision-making pipelines across both public and private
sectors.


She concurrently highlighted that the Sustainable Practices
Standard (SPS)—pioneered and presented by the "Ecosphere"
Social-Economic Development Center—seeks to merge global
sustainability metrics with localized implementation mechanisms,
embedding resilience directly into daily management workflows.


"The primary operational advantage of the SPS framework lies in
its design: it functions not merely as an abstract theoretical
concept, but as a fully measurable and applicable managerial
toolkit," she pointed out.


Aliyeva underscored the critical role that civil society
organizations fulfill in driving environmental education, climate
adaptation workflows, green city initiatives, municipal waste
management optimization, ecotourism, and youth mobilization.


She concluded by noting that the Agency for State Support to
NGOs of Azerbaijan systematically fosters an efficient,
multilateral model of sustainable development. This is achieved by
utilizing transparent grant allocation mechanisms to fortify
institutional collaboration between state bodies and civil society
networks.


"Sustainable development represents far more than a standard
environmental policy; it constitutes a progressive management
culture and a structural model of collective responsibility,"
Aliyeva stated.







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.