BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. The development of connectivity must go hand in hand with inclusive development, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Anacláudia Rossbach said, Trend reports.
Speaking at a panel titled “Cities at the Center of Connectivity:
Urban Reconstruction and Regional Cooperation,” Anacláudia Rossbach
noted that despite the rapid expansion of opportunities for
interaction in the modern world, the problem of inequality remains
relevant.
She noted that the world is now more connected than ever before: intercontinental routes are measured in days, data is transmitted in milliseconds, and new transport corridors, energy networks, and digital infrastructure are transforming entire regions. However, approximately 2.8 billion people lack safe and adequate living conditions, and millions have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict and climate change.
“The world is more connected than ever before, but at the same time, it is more unequal than necessary. Without inclusivity and a broad socio-economic vision, connectivity turns into a massive infrastructure from which only a few benefit,” she emphasized.
According to a UN-Habitat official, multimodal corridors not only accelerate the movement of people and goods but also reshape the economic geography of entire regions.
She noted that strategic corridors connecting Africa and Europe, as well as Asia, are among the most important infrastructure projects of our time. Increased comprehensive investment along the Middle Corridor, connecting China, Central Asia, the Caspian region, Azerbaijan, and Europe, creates new opportunities for cities located along this route in terms of economic diversification.
Rossbach added that this process promotes the development of environmentally friendly industries, advanced logistics services, agricultural processing, and digital businesses, while transforming second-tier cities from mere transit hubs into economic entities.
Meanwhile, the third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) is underway 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.
