BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. The Baku City Award,
initiated by Azerbaijan and co-organized with UN-Habitat, will
establish a permanent institutional legacy extending far beyond the
timeline of the summit itself, Chairman of the State Committee for
Urban Planning and Architecture and National Coordinator of WUF13
Anar Guliyev said, Trend reports.


He made the remark during the official closing press conference
of the 13th session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13)
in Baku.


Guliyev emphasized that this prestigious accolade will operate
as the only international award officially presented within the
structural framework of the World Urban Forum.


"By seamlessly bridging practical field experience, academic
knowledge, and public policy, this initiative reflects Azerbaijan's
long-term commitment to driving innovation, professional
excellence, and cross-border cooperation in sustainable urban
development and housing policy," the national coordinator
explained.


Furthermore, Guliyev reported that the Azerbaijani delegation
executed a formal letter of intent with UN-Habitat to draft
comprehensive operational guidelines based on the structural "Baku
standards" to assist future forum host countries.


Another key milestone achieved during the summit was the formal
adoption of the ISO 20121 standard (Sustainable Events Management)
at the national level. According to the committee chairman, this
regulatory implementation enables Azerbaijan to systematically
anchor sustainability principles across the institutional
architecture governing the management of future large-scale
international events.


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 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.