BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. UN-Habitat intends to support the initiatives of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS states and activate joint work, Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, UN-Habitat,Erfan Ali, said in an appeal to the participants of an event "Sustainable Development of Mountain Settlements" within the framework of WUF13 in Baku, Trend reports.
According to him, developing optimal solutions for the sustainable development of cities and settlements located in mountainous areas is one of the important areas of UN-Habitat's activities.
He stressed that the special-purpose program "My Neighbourhood for Mountainous Cities" is dedicated to the problems of mountain settlements.
"This initiative presents urban planning strategies for the management of fragile mountain ecosystems and aims to ensure a balance between population growth and resilience to climate change, biodiversity conservation, and disaster risk reduction.
The program considers specific aspects of ensuring livelihoods in high-altitude and mountainous regions, in particular in terms of climate change and resilience to natural disasters. This is particularly relevant given the high vulnerability of mountain settlements to natural disasters and extreme temperatures," he explained.
Ali added that UN-Habitat promotes urban planning methods that take into account cultural characteristics, climatic conditions, the need to preserve biodiversity, and protect mountain landscapes. These methods are aimed at compact and interconnected urban planning to prevent excessive urban sprawl.
"The main priorities are to ensure the livability, safety, efficiency, and inclusiveness of mountain settlements.
UN-Habitat actively cooperates with the CIS countries' missions in this area, in particular with countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan," he said.
The regional director noted that the efforts of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS member states are extremely important.
"In this direction, the development and adoption of a model concept for the sustainable development of mountain areas holds a special place.
We intend to further support the relevant initiatives of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS member states and further activate joint work to achieve common goals for sustainable development," he concluded.
Today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit, featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and sustainable transport.
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.
