BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. The National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan firmly believes in the strategic importance of international civil society cooperation to drive sustainable development, Ramil Iskandarli, Executive Director of the National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan, said, Trend reports.
He made the remarks during an event titled "Youth and Civil Society Leadership in Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Cities" held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
"The current session successfully unites policy architects, youth leaders, and civil society representatives upon a single, shared dialogue platform. This synchronization directly reflects the core philosophy of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum—prioritizing partnership, social inclusion, and collaborative urban solutions. I want to explicitly emphasize that the National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan places deep institutional faith in the value of international civil society networks," Iskandarli pointed out.
The executive director underscored that through structured partnerships and global interactive engagement - including targeted cooperation platforms across the Global South - the National NGO Forum consistently backs multilateral platforms where operational expertise, progressive concepts, and practical management solutions can undergo open and constructive exchange, he concluded.
Today marks the fifth 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.
One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and the Turkish city of Trabzon.
The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.
One of the important events of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the “Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”
Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and Decision-Making” was held.
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.
