UN-Habitat Executive Director: Baku is ready for WUF13

UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach, in an interview with Report, has expressed confidence that Baku is ready for the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).

"I can say that Baku is ready for WUF13. The report presented by Azerbaijan to member states shows that all preparations are being carried out at a high level," Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Anaclaudia Rossbach, told Report at the UN headquarters in New York.

Rossbach emphasized that the meetings and discussions held before WUF13 can be evaluated as an important day dedicated to urban and urbanization issues on a global scale:

"This is an event like a global city day. We are reviewing the New Urban Agenda adopted in 2016, which has been implemented for 10 years now. We need to define new targets for the next 10 years. As we discussed with member states at the New York meeting here, there are numerous global challenges ahead, and cities have a strong role to play. Housing also plays an important role in our plan. The results we achieved last year within the UN in the areas of climate, finance, and social development showed that urbanization, cities and local governance, as well as housing, play a central role. This year, it is important for us to organize the World Urban Forum (WUF13) together with Azerbaijan."

Rossbach stated that a high-level event will be held on July 16-17 under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, where a review of the past 10 years will be conducted and future priorities will be determined:

"This year is strategically important for UN-Habitat because SDG 11 (Sustainable Development Goal on Cities and Communities) will be reviewed in New York in July. We are the guardians of SDG 11. Informal settlements and housing are critical aspects. We need to move faster and accelerate initiatives in this area. In addition, the first year of our new strategic plan focusing on housing issues is being implemented. All these activities complement each other. The meetings in New York cover not only SDG 11 but all Sustainable Development Goals because SDG 11 is interconnected with other goals. Conducting a review of the New Urban Agenda is critically important. Therefore, our work in Nairobi, our collaborations with member states in Nairobi and New York, as well as the meetings held in Baku, will ultimately serve to achieve solid and concrete results."

Speaking about the preparations for WUF13 in Baku, Rossbach stated that the work is ready in terms of logistics and infrastructure: "I can say that Baku is ready for WUF13. The report presented by the Azerbaijani side to the member states shows that all preparation works are being carried out at a high level. UN-Habitat coordinates registrations and participation in side events, and it is already known that there is great interest and demand for participation in the forum. This will serve as an important platform for international participants to discuss urban problems in Baku, present practical experiences, solutions, and share expert knowledge."