BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Azerbaijan's formal
alignment with the international Blue Flag environmental
certification program opens up entirely new pathways for the
sustainable development of its coastal territories while fortifying
the nation's global ecological standing, Dilara Hajiyeva, National
Coordinator of the FEE Blue Flag program at the "EcoSphere" Center
for Ecology and Social-Development, said, Trend reports.


She 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, Azerbaijan is actively deploying targeted
ecological guidelines and sustainable development metrics across
diverse economic sectors, with international standards playing a
critical structural role throughout this transition.


Hadjieva noted that international sustainability benchmarks help
municipal and national planners construct transparent regulatory
ecosystems, elevate corporate ecological responsibility, and
reinforce cross-sector trust between state agencies, private
business enterprises, and civil society.


The official emphasized that globally recognized certifications
such as LEED, BREEAM, WELL, Green Key, Eco-Schools, and Blue Flag
have become increasingly vital metrics worldwide, providing
actionable, data-driven frameworks for environmental management and
resilient urban growth.


According to the coordinator, the "EcoSphere" Center has
actively participated in the institutional programs of the
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) since 2018,
systematically piloting international environmental and educational
initiatives inside Azerbaijan.


She pointed out that the Green Key program actively drives the
adoption of sustainable management workflows within the hospitality
and tourism sectors, specifically targeting optimized energy and
water-use efficiency while expanding environmental literacy among
service staff and international guests.


Concurrently, the Eco-Schools framework focuses on the
environmental education of children and young demographics,
comprehensively covering critical core topics including climate
change dynamics, biodiversity preservation, solid waste management,
freshwater resource protection, and sustainable lifestyle
practices.


"International standards serve as a vital common language
linking different nations. They allow us to seamlessly collaborate,
execute cross-border knowledge transfers, and collectively
construct a far more resilient global future," Hadjieva
underlined.


Concluding her address, she noted that Azerbaijan remains deeply
committed to its participation in these international environmental
initiatives, intending to aggressively scale its operations across
ecological education networks, sustainable certifications, and
public community engagement to meet long-term sustainability
goals.







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.