Azerbaijan is once again at the center of the global agenda, hosting the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Held under the motto "Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities," this forum will feature some of the leading urban planning experts, governmental officials, international organizations, and representatives of academia and civil society to address the key problems in relation to the issues of urbanization that the world faces today. Gathering some of the best professionals in the field of urban planning in Baku, this high-profile forum is another proof of the rising importance of Azerbaijan's institutions on an international level after the success of COP29. And having just passed its first day, it looks like Baku will do just fine.

The current 13th World Urban Forum, co-organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Government of Azerbaijan, has already attracted an unprecedented number of 32,225 people from 180 nations across the globe. This forum is being held at the Baku Olympic Stadium, and importantly, the WUF13 falls during the halfway review of the New Urban Agenda, which means that the findings will have a direct influence on the UN Secretary-General’s 2026 report on urbanization.

The scale of the event reflects Azerbaijan's growing institutional ambitions. President Ilham Aliyev has declared 2026 the "Year of Urban Planning and Architecture" in Azerbaijan, a declaration framing this as a bold, hopeful part of a broader national urban transformation strategy. On its first day, the forum saw Azerbaijan host a ministerial discussion on the New Urban Agenda, taking place halfway into the 20-year implementation period for the agenda, to take stock of its achievements and........

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