Baku hosts largest forum in WUF history: impressions of international representatives

The holding of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku became another successful example of Azerbaijan's ability to host major international events. Considered one of the world's largest platforms on urban development and urbanization, the forum turned the Azerbaijani capital into the center of global discussions for several days. The event focused on important topics such as sustainable urban development, safe and resilient living spaces, modern urbanization and climate challenges.

According to official data, more than 45,000 participants from 182 countries registered for WUF13. The forum's final statistics stated that the number of participants made the Baku event one of the largest in WUF history.

Foreign guests and international representatives particularly emphasized the high level of organization of the forum. They highly praised Baku's modern infrastructure, security measures, well-organized logistics and hospitable atmosphere. Many participants noted that Azerbaijan's professional hosting of such a large-scale international event demonstrated the country's growing international standing.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed described Baku as one of the world's oldest cities and said it was a fitting venue for such discussions.

"In Baku – one of the world's oldest cities – we witnessed renewal and resilience. Baku was a particularly suitable venue for the discussions held this week, because climate change and urbanization pressures are becoming more frequent across the world and causing large-scale consequences."

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, for her part, highly praised President Ilham Aliyev's approach to sustainable urban development.

"President Ilham Aliyev's plans related to the transformation of Baku and Azerbaijan as a whole are aimed at turning the country into a truly modern place with excellent interconnected infrastructure.

While in Baku, I do not feel like I have come to a foreign land. I am proud that my first visit as part of a foreign mission was to this country. I came here – to Baku, which demonstrates a shining example of progress, resilience and modernity."

Colombian Vice Minister of Housing, Cities and Territories Ayde Marsilya Bello said in an interview with Report that she was highly impressed by the city.

"I liked your city very much. Baku seemed to me like a beautiful city where different cultures merge together – that is exactly the impression it created. You have a very interesting history. Although Azerbaijan is a relatively young state, the country possesses a rich historical heritage.

The architecture, urban environment and landmarks – all of this is very interesting. I also liked that the country is open to the world and seeks recognition. For us (Colombia – ed.), Azerbaijan seems like a very distant country, but after this visit I developed a desire to return here with my family. In fact, despite the distance, it seems to me that we have more in common than might appear at first glance."

The vice minister added that despite her busy schedule, she also had the opportunity to explore the city.

"I managed to see the Maiden Tower, walk along the Boulevard by the Caspian Sea and stroll through the Old City. Of course, I saw only a small part of Baku, but now I have a serious reason to definitely return here again."

Ekaterina Shapochka, representative of the global consulting company Boston Consulting Group, also described Baku as a city of development and resilience.

"Baku demonstrates high results in global statistics in terms of the pace of development and change."

According to her, based on Boston Consulting Group's study titled "The 20 Fastest-Changing Cities in 2014-2024," Azerbaijan's capital ranked in the fourth quintile.

"Particularly in terms of living conditions, Baku is almost in the highest quintile. This demonstrates the city's successful transformation."

Of course, throughout history Baku has been known as one of the cities distinguished by hospitality, and every guest arriving in the city has been welcomed warmly. During WUF13, foreign participants also particularly noted the kindness, helpfulness and warm attitude of Baku residents. The atmosphere of friendship and mutual respect created in the city during the forum days made an additional contribution to the event's successful atmosphere.

Mexican Ambassador to Azerbaijan Maria Victoria Romero Caballero specifically highlighted this warm attitude.

"We express our deep gratitude for your support and for making our stay in Azerbaijan a truly successful experience. Once again, we witnessed the hospitality of the Azerbaijani people."

Katja Schafer, Interregional Adviser at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), also shared her impressions of the hospitality.

"Baku impressed forum participants both with the city's development and its hospitality. Baku, the pearl of the Caspian, is welcoming the world today and demonstrating your country's development. People will return to their countries with positive impressions about the warm attitude they experienced here."

Mtobeli Colisa, CEO of the South African Local Government Association, described the warm attitude in the city as amazing.

"Baku has done an amazing job in terms of hospitality. As representatives arriving from different parts of the world, we feel very welcome here. The hotels are good, the transport system is at a high level. This is truly the right place for hosting events. We were here before for the COP event and saw Baku the same way then. Therefore, when coming here, we were very confident that Baku would succeed again."

Katja Schafer, Interregional Adviser at UN-Habitat, also emphasized the friendliness of the capital's residents.

"Baku impressed forum participants both with the city's development and its hospitality. Baku, the pearl of the Caspian, is welcoming the world today and demonstrating your country's development. People will return to their countries with positive impressions about the warm attitude they experienced here," she added.

As can be seen from the above and the views of the international community, Baku hosted WUF13 with the same high professionalism and modern level of organization as COP29. The city's developed infrastructure, security measures and proper coordination of logistics were positively assessed by guests. Foreign representatives also emphasized that Azerbaijan once again demonstrated its ability to successfully host global events.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed spoke about this high level of organization, noting that Baku is one of the important global platforms.

"Given the geopolitical tensions, turbulence and conflicts occupying a significant share of our leaders' attention, this large-scale success should not be underestimated. This forum once again demonstrated why the World Urban Forum remains the leading global platform for sustainable urbanization and human settlements development."

UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach described Azerbaijan's organization and leadership at WUF13 as commendable.

"The high level of hospitality, organization and leadership demonstrated throughout this week is commendable. I also thank all participants – governments, cities, partners, experts, civil society, youth and communities – for the energy, activism and shared determination shown over the past days. This session once again demonstrated that WUF13 is truly a global platform for collective action for the future of cities."

Anna Suve, head of the UN-Habitat programme in Azerbaijan, said that the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku had become one of the largest urban forums in terms of participation and organization.

Laura Puttkamer, journalist for Urban Solutions Journal, emphasized that the forum in Baku differed positively from others.

The journalist noted that she had already worked at four WUF forums during her career, but the Baku summit stood out positively because of its atmosphere.

"Baku's efforts deserve proper recognition for such high-quality preparation. I especially want to emphasize the role of volunteers – they are simply wonderful. Their kindness and sincere readiness to help create a comfortable environment for every delegate."

Puttkamer also highlighted the forum's convenient transport accessibility and the opportunity to better experience the rhythm of city life.

"If at the previous forum in Cairo the conference center was isolated and located far from residential districts, in the Azerbaijani capital participants can easily use the metro and actively interact with the urban environment."

Undoubtedly, within the framework of WUF13, Baku turned into a vibrant and dynamic urban environment bringing together people from different countries. During the forum days, the atmosphere of international dialogue, innovative ideas and multicultural communication was strongly felt in the city. Baku's modern architecture, public spaces and technological infrastructure further enriched the event's urban atmosphere.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stated that Azerbaijan had elevated the topic of urbanism to the global level by combining respect for centuries-old traditions with the promotion of modern approaches to urban development.

"By declaring 2026 the 'Year of Urban Development and Architecture,' Azerbaijan has elevated the topic of urbanism to the global level by showing respect for centuries-old traditions while simultaneously promoting progressive approaches to the new challenges of the modern world," she noted.

Laura Puttkamer, journalist for Urban Solutions Journal, also drew attention to the urban environment created in Baku.

"The unity of urbanism and nature, especially due to its proximity to the Caspian Sea, made a strong impression on her. She noted that she planned to participate in an event for media representatives involving a visit to the Caspian coast and stressed the importance of such experience for understanding urban development and ecological transformation."

Katja Schafer, Interregional Adviser at UN-Habitat, said that Baku inspires the world in the field of urbanization.

"The 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku became an important experience platform for participants in the field of urbanization and sustainable urban development."

Sanjay Kulshrestha, managing director of India's Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd., also shared his views in this context, saying Baku is one of the best-planned cities.

"One of the best infrastructures I have seen exists here."

Thus, WUF13, held in Baku on May 17-22 with a high level of organization, was remembered as a result-oriented forum featuring numerous dialogues, special sessions and group meetings.

During the six days of the forum, Azerbaijan's experience based on scientific and technological innovation, especially the Smart City, Smart Village and Green Zone projects implemented in the liberated territories, received special appreciation from the international community.

The Baku Call to Action document adopted as the outcome of the process is the result of a collective, jointly prepared, fair and inclusive process.

The document incorporates diverse contributions from stakeholders across various sectors and levels of governance, including civil society organizations, women, the elderly, children and youth, indigenous peoples, professionals, academics, researchers, local and regional authorities, persons with disabilities, parliamentarians, the private sector and other actors involved in the housing value chain.

This document is the result of months of work carried out through an initial process of comprehensive consultations with stakeholders ahead of the World Urban Forum.

The Government of Azerbaijan hosted the largest WUF event to date, attended by more than 58,000 participants from 176 countries. For the first time in history, at the initiative of the host country, 27 heads of state and government, more than 100 ministers, the UN Deputy Secretary-General and several high-level officials participated in the Leaders Summit. Innovations of WUF13 included the Baku Urban Development Award, the Business and Innovation Hub, the WUF Academy campus and the Experience Center.