BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. The building and restoration work carried out in the liberated territories is a great mission, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said at the event "WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnerships and Decision-Making", Trend reports.
"We began large-scale restoration and construction work in the liberated areas. Ensuring safe and sustainable development in demined areas is one of our top priorities," he noted.
According to him, thinking globally and working locally is the main motto of NGOs.
"Azerbaijani NGOs do not operate only within the country's borders. The Global South platform established last year deserves special mention. I spoke to this platform on behalf of the President last year. I am sure that your contributions and ideas will be taken into account in the urban planning agenda and will play an important role in shaping a new development agenda for cities.
Our lives are connected to cities. As cities grow, population growth and climate change create new challenges. We are also seeing the effects of climate change in Azerbaijan. We faced unexpected rain on the first day of the forum — which once again shows the real effects of climate change. Cities are more exposed to these changes.
Yesterday, President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan is a convenient place for these discussions. The Azerbaijani people have ancient traditions in the field of urban planning. Gabala was one of the important cities of the ancient Silk Road. Baku is an important center in terms of preserving cultural heritage.
At the same time, the construction and restoration work carried out in the liberated territories is a great mission. We are writing new history in the areas contaminated with mines. Unfortunately, in the 20th century, cities were destroyed before our eyes, and nine of our cities were deliberately razed to the ground. Aghdam, for example, was called the 'Hiroshima' of the Caucasus. This city, which was home to hundreds of thousands of people, was completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, we are building a new life for our citizens in these territories. Azerbaijan is truly the most suitable place for this Urban Planning Forum. We are ready to share our experience and learn from different experiences. Azerbaijan plays the role of a bridge between the Global North and the Global South," he added.
The third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) is underway in Baku.
On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework of the forum.
The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
