BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 3. A series of
high-level international events dedicated to the thirteenth session
of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) under the theme “Housing the
world: Safe and resilient cities and communities” were held at the
headquarters of the United Nations in New York, Trend reports.


A meeting of the Group of Friends (GoF) of UN-Habitat,
Sustainable Urbanization and the New Urban Agenda was held on 29
January, co-chaired by the Permanent Missions of Poland and
Zimbabwe to the United Nations. The meeting was organised in the
lead-up to the mid-term review of the implementation of the New
Urban Agenda and brought together representatives from a broad
range of UN Member States.


The meeting began with opening remarks from the co-chairs of the
Group of Friends. It was followed by a presentation from Anacláudia
Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, on the overarching
framework, commitments, priorities and accountability mechanisms
for implementing the New Urban Agenda. Subsequently, the
co-facilitators of the political declaration of the New Urban
Agenda review, the Permanent Representatives of Malawi and Poland
to the United Nations, shared their perspectives on current
challenges in urbanization and on the process of preparing the
midterm review report.


It is worth highlighting that the UN-Habitat Group of Friends
brings together 50 member states from all regions of the world,
with the aim of strengthening dialogue and cooperation to promote
inclusive, safe, sustainable and resilient urban development.


Within the framework of the meeting, a presentation on the
Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) was delivered
by the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the
Republic of Azerbaijan, providing information on the Forum’s theme,
key events, and the preparation process for WUF13.


On 30 January 2026, a diplomatic briefing dedicated to WUF13 was
jointly organised by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan
and UN-Habitat. The event was attended by the heads of more than
100 permanent missions accredited to the United Nations, as well as
observers and members of the diplomatic corps.







Delivering the opening remarks, Elvin Ashrafzada, Chargé
d’Affaires a.i. and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic
of Azerbaijan to the United Nations, highlighted Azerbaijan’s
contributions to global dialogue on sustainable urban development
and underscored the importance of WUF13 in shaping collective
responses to today’s pressing challenges.


In her remarks, Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Deputy
Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said WUF13
is a vital platform for broadening dialogue, strengthening
partnerships and promoting practical solutions to the global
housing crisis affecting some three billion people worldwide. She
stressed that the event will support implementation of the New
Urban Agenda and contribute to the development of cities that are
inclusive, safe, sustainable and resilient.


In her remarks, Gulshan Rzayeva, Deputy National Coordinator of
WUF13, spoke about the new initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan
within the framework of WUF13, including the organisation, for the
first time, of a Summit involving heads of state and government,
the holding of a Ministerial meeting in a more interactive and
results-oriented format, and the Urban Expo exhibition to be staged
across 35,000 square metres. She noted that, as host country,
Azerbaijan is demonstrating its strong commitment to the global
development agenda by sharing national experience and presenting
innovative solutions.


As part of the briefing, Omar Siddique, Head of UN-Habitat’s
Canada Office, delivered a presentation outlining the WUF13
programme, key events and opportunities for participation. The
briefing continued with a QA session, during which diplomats from
Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Pakistan, El Salvador and other
countries expressed their confidence in Azerbaijan’s ability to
deliver WUF13 to a high standard.