Baku is preparing to host the World Urban Forum this weekend, with more than 32,000 participants from 180 countries expected to arrive in the Azerbaijani capital for the six-day event.
The forum, organised by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), is one of the world’s largest gatherings focused on cities, urban planning and sustainable development.
It brings together government officials, architects, environmental experts, investors and civil society representatives to discuss how cities can respond to growing pressures linked to climate change, migration and rapid urbanisation.
Ahead of the opening on Sunday, journalists were given a special tour of the Baku Olympic Stadium, which has been transformed into a large-scale conference and exhibition venue.
Ali Mammadov, executive director of the WUF13 Azerbaijan Operating Company, said: “The venue for the WUF13 event covers 53 hectares, including the Baku Olympic Stadium and the overall operational scope formed around it. Of this, 10 hectares are designated for transportation.”
Organisers have divided the stadium into several themed zones inspired by Azerbaijan’s urban planning traditions. One section, known as Zone A, includes five streets named after Azerbaijani cities.
“Urban planning traditions were prioritised in the design of the Baku Olympic Stadium,” Mammadov said.
At the centre of the venue is the Urban Expo Zone, a 3.5-hectare exhibition space where countries and organisations will present projects linked to smart cities, sustainable infrastructure and future urban development.
“The Urban Expo Zone covers 3.5 hectares. This area will accommodate exhibition spaces for all participants,” Mammadov said.
A total of 41 countries are participating with national pavilions, including Azerbaijan’s own 1,500-square-metre pavilion showcasing local urban development projects and infrastructure initiatives.
“A total of 41 countries will participate with pavilions, including the Azerbaijan Pavilion, which covers 1,500 square metres,” he added.
Throughout the forum, organisers expect up to 300 sessions and meetings to take place each day, ranging from high-level diplomatic discussions to technical workshops hosted across 121 pavilions at the Urban Expo.
For Azerbaijan, hosting the World Urban Forum is being presented as an opportunity to showcase its long-term vision for urban development and strengthen its profile as a host of major international events.
In recent years, Baku has hosted high-profile sporting tournaments, diplomatic gatherings and climate-related conferences as part of broader efforts to position itself as a regional hub connecting Europe and Asia.
This year’s World Urban Forum will also include a leaders’ summit for the first time in the event’s history, reflecting the growing political importance of urban policy and sustainable city planning.
As final preparations continue around the Olympic Stadium, workers, volunteers and organisers are racing to complete the final details before delegates begin arriving in the coming days.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting...
The United Nations Public Service Forum has opened in Tbilisi, Georgia, for the first time, bringing together 420 participants from nearly 100 countri...
France has confirmed its first Ebola case linked to the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a doctor returning from a humanitar...
Ukraine said its forces had struck key energy installations inside Russia, including a gas processing plant and a helium facility in the Orenburg regi...
Another opposition-linked figure has been detained in Armenia following the country's parliamentary elections. Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of the na...
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting external involvement and calling for expanded intra-regional cooperation.
France has confirmed its first Ebola case linked to the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission tested positive for the virus, the health ministry said on Wednesday (24 June).
Ukraine said its forces had struck key energy installations inside Russia, including a gas processing plant and a helium facility in the Orenburg region, as drone assaults increased across multiple areas.
An unusual weather pattern known as an omega block is at the heart of the extreme heat sweeping across Europe. The phenomenon can trap hot air over the same region for days or even weeks, allowing temperatures to climb to dangerous levels.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting external involvement and calling for expanded intra-regional cooperation.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting external involvement and calling for expanded intra-regional cooperation.
The United Nations Public Service Forum has opened in Tbilisi, Georgia, for the first time, bringing together 420 participants from nearly 100 countries to discuss public sector governance, digital transformation and citizen-centred service delivery.
Turkish authorities detained 209 people in anti-terrorism operations on Tuesday, prosecutors said, a day after Ankara imposed restrictions on public gatherings ahead of next month's NATO summit.
Oman has announced measures to keep vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, confirming it will maintain free passage and impose no tolls as efforts continue to restore navigation through the strategic waterway.
Another opposition-linked figure has been detained in Armenia following the country's parliamentary elections. Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of the national-civic movement HayaQve, was taken into custody as part of a criminal investigation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment