The 13th edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku showed Azerbaijan’s “meaningful contribution to multilateralism,” the country’s President Ilham Aliyev has said.
Aliyev said it had been a "privilege" to host the 2026 UN sustainable urbanisation conference, noting that it was the second-largest international event ever held in Azerbaijan after COP29.
“We congratulate all participants, partners, and the UN family, in particular UN-Habitat, on the successful and result-oriented WUF13,” he said in a statement shared on social media.
“With a record number of around 60,000 participants, WUF13 went down in history as the largest World Urban Forum ever held,” Aliyev added.
Housing was high on the agenda of this year’s event, which had the theme, “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.”
Multiple sessions at the conference focused on post-conflict reconstruction and resettlement, a timely topic in light of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Talks were delivered by officials from Azerbaijan about the country’s own rebuilding efforts in the liberated territories.
President Aliyev said delegates from abroad valued Azerbaijan’s experience in this area.
“As a country that suffered from urbicide, culturicide, and ecocide, Azerbaijan is now rebuilding nine cities and hundreds of villages from the ground up in Garabagh and East Zangezur,” he said.
“We therefore take pride in the strong recognition by the international community of Azerbaijan’s post-conflict reconstruction efforts, highlighted as a valuable example for other post-conflict contexts around the world,” Aliyev continued.
Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said the size and range of this year’s event were unprecedented.
"Never before has a forum of this nature brought together such a vast and diverse global audience, reflecting the growing recognition that housing and sustainable urban development are central to our collective future," she said.
WUF13 took place from 17 to 22 May at Baku Olympic Stadium.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and inte...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and international issues.
Afghan authorities suspended BBC FM radio broadcasts nationwide on Tuesday (13 October), citing repeated but unspecified violations. The BBC said it was working with officials to restore the service.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reaffirmed his support for Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks, as U.S. President Donald Trump considers involving Türkiye in the Yemen conflict.
Pakistan and Oman called for restraint and diplomacy on Wednesday as they discussed the U.S.-Iran conflict, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats to vital Gulf shipping routes, with Muscat praising Islamabad’s mediation efforts.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment