Azerbaijan once again confirmed its growing authority on global scale - OPINION

Azerbaijan, hosting the World Urban Forum (WUF13), once again confirmed its growing global authority, Azerbaijani MP Zaur Shukurov said, Report informs.

He described the forum, held in Baku from May 17-22, as a historic event for the country. He noted that the number of participants from 182 countries exceeded 57,000, making WUF13 the biggest session in the forum's history and the second largest international event in Azerbaijan after COP29.

The MP emphasized that the declaration of 2026 as the Year of Urban Planning and Architecture, as well as the holding of national urban development forums in Aghdam, Zangilan, and Khankandi, demonstrate the country's attention to the development of sustainable living spaces in the liberated territories.

Shukurov also highlighted a number of Azerbaijan's initiatives within the WUF13. In particular, the WUF13 NGO Forum was held for the first time in the forum's history, organized by the Agency for State Support to NGOs jointly with the Global South NGO Platform, which unites organizations from 116 countries.

According to him, the Urban Expo exhibition brought together 217 organizations from 66 countries, and a media tour to Shamakhi allowed foreign journalists to become familiar with Azerbaijan's regional urban development policy.

The MP stated that one of the main outcomes of the forum was the adoption of the Baku Call to Action, which is expected to contribute to the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda in July 2026 in New York.

He also emphasized that the post-conflict rehabilitation model for Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur has received international recognition and is reflected in the WUF13 outcome document.

"With a record number of participants, Azerbaijan has become a center of global urban development strategy, and the new format-the WUF13 NGO Forum-was established for the first time in the history of the World Urban Forum," Shukurov added.