BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. The National NGO
Forum of Azerbaijan firmly believes in the strategic importance of
international civil society cooperation to drive sustainable
development, Ramil Iskandarli, Executive Director of the National
NGO Forum of Azerbaijan, said, Trend reports.
He made the remarks during an event titled "Youth and Civil
Society Leadership in Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Cities"
held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban
Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
"The current session successfully unites policy architects,
youth leaders, and civil society representatives upon a single,
shared dialogue platform. This synchronization directly reflects
the core philosophy of the 13th session of the World Urban
Forum—prioritizing partnership, social inclusion, and collaborative
urban solutions. I want to explicitly emphasize that the National
NGO Forum of Azerbaijan places deep institutional faith in the
value of international civil society networks," Iskandarli pointed
out.
The executive director underscored that through structured
partnerships and global interactive engagement - including targeted
cooperation platforms across the Global South - the National NGO
Forum consistently backs multilateral platforms where operational
expertise, progressive concepts, and practical management solutions
can undergo open and constructive exchange, he concluded.
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.
