BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. The federal government of Mexico and the municipal administration of Mexico City are officially launching structural preparations for the 14th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF14) immediately following the successful conclusion of the Baku summit, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to Azerbaijan María Victoria Romero Caballero said, Trend reports.
She made the remarks during the official closing press conference of the 13th session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, where she extended formal congratulations to the government of Azerbaijan.
"On behalf of Mexico and the government of Mexico City, I congratulate Azerbaijan on the exceptionally successful hosting of WUF13," the ambassador stated.
Romero Caballero directed targeted praise toward the localized organizational workflows and the highly efficient contribution of national volunteer networks. "We witnessed firsthand the incredible hospitality of the Azerbaijani people. The young men and women, particularly the volunteers, guided our delegations at every step, streamlining workflow operations and facilitating critical policy exchanges. We also extend our gratitude to UN-Habitat for enabling such a meaningful and productive platform for our delegation," she said.
The ambassador emphasized that the immense geopolitical weight of the Baku forum mirrored the unprecedented high-level composition of the Mexican delegation sent to Azerbaijan. The state assembly in Baku featured Mexico’s Federal Minister of Urban Development, the Governor of Mexico City, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a comprehensive cohort of legislative and regulatory colleagues representing both federal and localized governance tiers.
"Starting this afternoon, Mexico officially shifts its operational focus toward WUF14. Our coordination teams are carrying this vital mandate back to our country immediately, anchored by an unyielding institutional commitment to sustain the high organizational benchmark established here in Baku," Romero Caballero announced.
According to the diplomat, the Mexico City government team will immediately activate coordination mechanisms with UN-Habitat to outline the foundational architecture of WUF14. The immediate joint agenda centers on engineering robust bilateral cooperation mechanisms, formalizing municipal governance models, mapping out macro-strategic development priorities, and locking in engagement paths for all international stakeholders.
"WUF14 marks the historic return of the World Urban Forum to the Latin American region after a 14-year hiatus, following the milestone session previously hosted in Medellín, Colombia," the ambassador underscored. "Crucially, we must recognize that WUF14 will operate as the absolute final World Urban Forum cycle hosted before the critical United Nations 2030 deadline, which invests this upcoming summit with monumental global significance," she concluded.
Today marks the final day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).
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.
The fifth day of WUF13 continued discussions on the global housing crisis, the creation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, the use of artificial intelligence in urban management, green urbanization, and social equality.
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.
