Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), has thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the successful organisation of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).
In a letter addressed to President Aliyev, Rossbach praised Azerbaijan's role in hosting the global urban development conference, which brought together government officials, academics, civil society representatives, businesses and international organisations, Caliber.Az reports per local media.
“On behalf of UN-Habitat, I express my deepest appreciation to you and your Government for the uniquely successful hosting of WUF13. WUF13 marked a pivotal moment for the housing community worldwide and for UN-Habitat, by bringing together a record number of participants from across the world, representing national and local governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, youth groups, international organizations, and other stakeholders committed to advancing sustainable urban development,” Rossbach wrote.
She noted that WUF13 was the first World Urban Forum to be held in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region and credited Azerbaijan's government and people for its success.
“WUF13 was also historic as the first ever session of the World Urban Forum held in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. The successful delivery of WUF13 reflects the strong commitment, leadership, and hospitality of the Government and people of Azerbaijan. The close cooperation between UN-Habitat and Azerbaijan was instrumental in ensuring effective preparation and organization of the Forum across all substantive, operational, and logistical areas,” she said.
Rossbach highlighted several outcomes of the forum, including the Baku Call to Action, the ministerial meeting outcome document and the largest Urban Expo in the history of the event.
“WUF13 delivered several ambitious outcomes such as the Baku Call to Action and the Ministerial Meeting outcome document [Chairs’ Summary], and it hosted the largest Urban Expo in the history of the World Urban Forum. WUF13 also introduced many new and innovative initiatives, including the WUF Academy, the Business and Innovation Hub, and the Practices Hub, which further strengthened WUF as a platform for rich dialogue, knowledge exchange, partnerships, and practical urban solutions,” Rossbach wrote.
She said the forum's achievements contributed to international cooperation and efforts to implement global urban development goals.
“These outcomes and experiences from WUF13 therefore made a groundbreaking and critical contribution to strengthened global cooperation and to advancing the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11,” she said.
Rossbach also emphasised the long-term legacy of the event, citing new standards and initiatives established during the forum.
“WUF13 has also established important legacies. This includes the ‘WUF13 Baku Standards’, which will contribute to the development of an operational guide for future sessions of the World Urban Forum, as well as the Baku Urban Award.”
By Sabina Mammadli
