Aloo-Obudho: WUF13 highlights Azerbaijan's role in global dialogue

Hosting WUF13 in Baku underscores Azerbaijan's growing role as an international platform for inclusive global dialogue on sustainable urban development, stated Peninah Aloo-Obudho, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Maasai Mara University in Kenya, at the General Assembly of the Global South NGO Platform.

"Azerbaijan's leadership in advancing multilateralism, including through its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement and COP29, has laid a solid foundation for initiatives like this current meeting," she said.

Aloo-Obudho noted that WUF13 provides an important opportunity to connect local initiatives with the global decision-making process and to strengthen the role of NGOs in inclusive urban governance.

"For the first time in the history of the World Urban Forum, Global South NGOs have come together to create a joint presence with a dedicated pavilion," she emphasized.

According to her, Azerbaijan is well-positioned to support the further institutionalization and long-term development of the platform as a bridge between local initiatives and global mechanisms.

Aloo-Obudho also proposed several areas of strategic cooperation among civil society organizations of Global South countries, including the creation of a shared knowledge platform for disseminating local innovations in urban development and combating climate change, as well as the development of a joint position on financing affordable housing.