BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Secretary of Ukraine's Irpin City Council - Acting Mayor Angela Makeeva has expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for support in the city's restoration, Trend reports.
Speaking at the “Path from Urbicide to Post-Conflict Reconstruction” event held at the Azerbaijan Pavilion during the 13th session of the UN World Urban Forum (WUF13), she said that the restoration of Irpin was made possible thanks to the significant contribution of international partners.
"More than 20 organizations joined the city's recovery. Today, we are building on the valuable experience of cooperation and mutual trust," the official explained.
She emphasized that Azerbaijan holds a special place among the mentioned partners.
"The memory of Zarifa Aliyeva lives on in our city. Children learn the Azerbaijani language in the park named after her. Among all the partners, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are once again playing a significant role in areas of vital importance for the life of our communities. For this, we are sincerely grateful and ready to further deepen our cooperation and continue the joint restoration of the most important facilities for our city," Makeeva added.
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 Programme 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.
