Azerbaijan signs logistics agreement for hosting WUF13 – UPDATED

The agreement signed today between Azerbaijan and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) marks an important milestone in the preparation process for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), which Baku will host in May this year.

According to Report, citing the WUF13 Operational Company, the document covers all organizational issues related to the holding of the forum and was prepared on the basis of the Host Country Agreement.

The document also represents a logical continuation of the agreement on hosting the forum signed in December 2023 and moves the preparatory process into a practical phase.

The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations in 2001 and is the leading global platform for discussing the impact of rapid urbanization on cities, countries, and the climate. The first session of the forum was held in Nairobi in 2002, after which the WUF has been regularly convened in cities around the world.

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The Executive Director of the UN-Habitat, Anacláudia Rossbach, and Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan, signed a logistics agreement defining all organisational arrangements for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), Guliyev said on X, Report informs.

"The signing of this document marks an important milestone in the preparations for WUF13, which will be held in Baku on 17-22 May 2026, under the theme 'Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.' This agreement builds upon the Host Country Agreement signed in December 2023 and moves the preparation of the Forum into a practical and operational phase," the committee chairman wrote.

Guliyev said he highly values "the fruitful cooperation between UN-Habitat and Azerbaijan" and noted "the successful implementation of joint projects in the field of urban development," further emphasizing: "In particular, this includes the organisation of three National Urban Forums in Garabagh and East Zangazur, as well as events held in Baku [in 2023] to mark World Habitat Day."

"Today, Azerbaijan actively contributes to shaping the global urban agenda, including through participation in the Expert Working Group on the development of international guidelines on People Centred Smart Cities and through co-chairing the Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All," he wrote.

The Azerbaijani committee chairman is "confident that the consistent development of our partnership with UN-Habitat provides a solid foundation" and that it will contribute to advancing sustainable, inclusive, and people-focused cities.