BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Our goal is to build entirely new cities and towns, Anar Guliyev, national coordinator of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) and chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, said, Trend reports.
He made the announcement during the High-Level Urban Dialogue of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held in Baku as part of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13).
According to him, the “Baku Call to Action” document will play a crucial role in shaping future directions in the areas of housing, sustainable urban development, and urbanization.
Anar Guliyev also touched upon projects being implemented by Azerbaijan in the areas of reconstruction and restoration.
“The restoration of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur holds a special place in this regard. After years of occupation and destruction, our goal is not simply to restore the previous state, but to create entirely new cities and villages based on the ‘build back better’ principle. This approach is grounded in the concepts of ‘smart’ cities and ‘smart’ villages, green energy solutions, and the principles of human-centered design,” he noted.
The Committee Chairman added that important steps are also being taken in the areas of climate change and green construction.
“Currently, Azerbaijan’s roadmap for green construction is being developed in cooperation with international financial institutions,” Anar Guliyev emphasized.
Meanwhile, the third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) was held 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.
