BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 26. The 13th session
of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), to be held in Baku in 2026, will
mark a significant milestone in the global urban development
agenda, Media Relations Manager for the WUF13 Operational Company,
Eldar Rasulov, told reporters during their visit to the company's
headquarters, Trend reports.
He emphasized that the session will serve as a pivotal
international convergence, facilitating a comprehensive discourse
on sustainable urban development, fostering knowledge transfer, and
disseminating exemplary methodologies.
"The forum will be held for the first time in the Caspian and
the South Caucasus regions. About 10,000 international delegates
are expected, with the total number of participants reaching around
30,000 people. Unlike previous WUF forums, this event will involve
a large number of heads of state and government. The forum will
organize 40 main sessions and 350 partner events. Key forum events
will be provided with simultaneous translation into eight
languages, including sign language," said Rasulov.
According to him, in preparation for the 13th session of the
forum, the WUF13 Operational Company began its activities on June
30, 2025. A comprehensive range of tasks was completed in a short
period, including institutional preparation, spatial infrastructure
planning, operational management, transportation, marketing, and
communications.
"The formation of a professional team is one of the key
priorities for the successful execution of such a large-scale
event. Currently, a working team of about 300 people has been
formed. Most of the hired staff are professionals with experience
in organizing international events," Rasulov explained.
He pointed out that volunteers play an important role in the
successful conduct of the forum. For this purpose, a Volunteer
Center was created, and 16,000 applications were recorded during
registration. A total of 2,500 volunteers who successfully
completed training will be involved in various aspects of the
forum's activities.
"The Baku Olympic Stadium was chosen as the venue for the event,
where infrastructure preparation is underway to accommodate the
scale of the forum. Construction work has already begun. Special
attention is being given to sustainable development principles, and
the event is planned to be conducted in accordance with the ISO
20121 standard," he added.
Rasulov also said that conference halls and other infrastructure
with a total area of 92,000 square meters will be organized at the
stadium.
"An exhibition called 'Urban Expo' will be organized as part of
the forum, covering an area of 35,000 square meters. Countries,
cities, municipalities, regional bodies, UN organizations, academic
institutes, international financial and civil organizations,
foundations, and private companies will be able to participate," he
noted.
He also emphasized that special attention will be given to
transportation issues to ensure access for participants to the
event venue.
"A General Transport Transfer Centers Plan has been developed,
with 11 transport hubs identified. Work continues on mapping routes
between Heydar Aliyev International Airport, hotels, the city
center, and the Baku Olympic Stadium," he announced.
In addition, Rasulov stressed that security issues will be a key
focus during the event.
He highlighted that hosting the forum is seen as a continuation
of Azerbaijan's high organizational and operational potential,
developed through international events held over the past
decade.
"In particular, the processes related to hosting COP29, which
involved tens of thousands of participants, hundreds of official
delegations, and international media, demonstrated the country's
high readiness in logistics, security, transportation, volunteer
programs, accreditation, and media operations. This experience has
created a strong institutional foundation for the successful
hosting of WUF13," Rasulov concluded.
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