The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative in Baku.
The event was organised by Azerbaijan’s Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organisations in partnership with the Global South NGO Platform (GSNP), which brings together NGOs from 116 countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the “WUF13 NGO Forum”, Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, described the forum as a historic event for WUF. She highlighted the important role of civil society in urban development and decision-making processes.
Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said Azerbaijan has become an important platform for promoting cooperation between the Global North and the Global South, as well as fostering effective dialogue through active diplomacy.
According to him, civil society provides additional momentum for building trust between the Global South and the Global North. As a vivid example, Hajiyev recalled that the General Assembly of the GSNP had been held in Baku just days earlier.
He also stressed that new cities are being built and life is being revived in the mine-contaminated and urbicide-affected territories of Garabagh and East Zangezur, adding that Azerbaijan is ready to share its experience with international partners.
Former UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the future of cities should not be shaped solely by governments, but also through the participation of local communities and civil society. Addressing NGOs, she underlined the importance of the principle:
“Think globally, act locally, and implement locally.”
Sharif praised the fact that hundreds of local and international NGOs had gathered in Azerbaijan to take part in discussions on urban development.
Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, described the Global South NGO Platform as a “fantastic initiative” and congratulated Azerbaijan on establishing the platform in Baku. She noted that important issues were being discussed at the forum held in partnership with GSNP.
Al-Khatib said that more than half of the world’s population already lives in cities, and that figure is expected to rise to 70% by 2050. According to her, cities in the Global South are increasingly facing pressures linked to climate change, water shortages, migration, housing deficits and infrastructure gaps.
Aygun Aliyeva, a member of the WUF13 Organising Committee and Chairperson of the Board of Azerbaijan’s NGO Agency, said the agency would continue contributing to the development of healthy relations between local and international NGOs, including cooperation in the field of urban development.
Former Secretary of the Governing Board of UN-Habitat Christian Mensah congratulated GSNP on creating a civil society hub for local and international NGOs at WUF13. He noted that, in today’s complex international environment, the “Bandung Principles” are regaining relevance and that the event represented a practical manifestation of those principles through cooperation and multilateral partnership.
Luis Gallegos, Deputy Secretary-General of GSNP for the Latin America region and former Foreign Minister of Ecuador, stressed that global partnership should not be limited to states alone, but should also involve international organisations, the private sector, NGOs, local communities, academic institutions and other stakeholders.
Following the opening ceremony, a panel discussion titled “Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Development” was held. Moderated by Azerbaijani MP Nigar Arpadarai, the panel featured speeches by Eliud Emeri, representative of Kenya’s “TUBAE” and “CgoK” organisations; Laila Al Hadhrami, Chairperson of Oman’s “Women of Future Cities” organisation and a futurist and smart cities expert; Melvine Wajiri Lynwe, Chair of the Pan-African Empowerment Platform (PEP Africa) from the Central African Republic; Fuad Karimli, Secretary-General of GSNP; and Zarina Mirabdullayeva, Regional Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia at the UN Volunteers Programme.
During the discussions, participants proposed establishing the urban wing of GSNP with the involvement of local and international NGOs represented at WUF13.
Nearly 800 representatives of local and international NGOs took part in the “WUF13 NGO Forum.”
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