BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. The 13th Session of
the UN World Urban Forum (WUF13) once again demonstrated the global
reach of the UN-Habitat platform, Anar Guliyev, chairman of the
State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture and national
coordinator of WUF13, said during the forum’s official closing
press conference in Baku, Trend reports.


Guliyev said the forum attracted a total of 53,500 participants.
Nearly 50,000 attended in person, while more than 3,000 joined
online. More than 400 key events were held during the forum.


The main program featured around 400 speakers from 125
countries, including 340 international participants and 60
representatives from Azerbaijan.


According to Guliyev, WUF13 introduced several major initiatives
expected to influence the future of the forum and international
urban cooperation.


He noted that the Leaders’ Session, organized for the first time
at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, became one of the
central highlights of WUF13. The session brought together 27 heads
of state and government, senior officials, and leaders of
international organizations.


“The participation of high-level guests clearly demonstrated
strong political will to advance sustainable urban development and
the global urban agenda,” Guliyev said. “It also reflected a shared
commitment to adequate housing for all and the development of
sustainable communities.”


Today marks the final day of the 13th session of the World Urban
Forum (WUF13).


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.


The fifth day of WUF13 continued discussions on the global
housing crisis, the creation of safe and inclusive cities, climate
resilience, the use of artificial intelligence in urban management,
green urbanization, and social equality.


One of the important events of the UN Special Programme 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.