WUF13 final documents support Azerbaijan's post-conflict recovery initiative

Azerbaijan's initiative of Smart, Sustainable Settlements for Safe Return (4SRP) has received support in the Baku Call to Action and the ministerial meeting document adopted following the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).

According to Report, the summary of the high-level meeting states that ministers welcomed the initiative prepared by Azerbaijan jointly with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Baku Climate and Peace Center within the framework of WUF13.

It is reported that the Baku Call to Action, which contains key recommendations on global urban development policy for the next two years, also confirms the main objectives of the 4SRP initiative.

"We call for a coordinated approach to prioritize reconstruction and recovery efforts and, ultimately, the return of forcibly displaced persons to their homes," the document states.

The initiative was proposed by the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture together with UN-Habitat, IOM, and Baku Hub during a high-level panel discussion held on May 19, 2026, as part of WUF13.

The initiative envisages the development of integrated urban planning and recovery approaches in response to interconnected challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, forced displacement, conflict, and humanitarian vulnerability.

According to the initiative's partners, Azerbaijan's experience in large-scale reconstruction work in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions, as well as the implementation of "smart city" and "smart village" concepts in post-conflict conditions, will be widely used in shaping international standards incorporating such approaches.

At the same time, the initiative is viewed as an important platform for developing practical urban planning models for post-conflict and vulnerable regions, promoting them internationally, and facilitating access to climate and investment financing.