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Elnur Enveroglu

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The global spotlight shines brightly on Baku as it plays host to the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13). Coming just a year and a half after its successful hosting of COP29, Azerbaijan has once again solidified its position as a premier diplomatic hub and a bridge between East and West. The opening ceremony of WUF13 was a powerful display of international solidarity, leadership, and vision, demonstrating that Azerbaijan is not simply participating in global conversations on sustainable development but is actively driving them.

The event commenced with a seamless display of high-level diplomacy. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, alongside First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Anacláudia Rossbach, personally welcomed an extraordinary gathering of heads of state, government leaders, and international delegates. The subsequent family photo session, a poignant cultural programme, and a dedicated UN-Habitat opening video set a tone of shared purpose. With over 45,000 registered participants spanning 182 countries, WUF13 stands as the second-largest international gathering in Azerbaijan’s history, showcasing Baku’s world-class capacity to organise, secure, and inspire a global audience.

Baku: The living canvas of urban harmony and innovation

Baku itself serves as the ultimate backdrop and a living case study for the core themes of WUF13. The impressions of the visiting global dignitaries have been overwhelmingly positive, with many marvelling at the city's unique architectural landscape. Baku represents a rare, natural harmony where historical preservation meets bold modernisation. As President Aliyev noted, a visitor can step outside the ancient, 6th-century walls of the Icherisheher (Old City) and immediately find themselves on a stunning, 15-kilometre modern seafront promenade, flanked by elegant 19th-century European architecture and futuristic skyscrapers.

It is, certainly, the result of deliberate, daily urban planning. Azerbaijan’s designation of this year as the “Year of Urban Planning” underscores its institutional commitment to smart city design. The transformation of Baku over the last two decades is an inspiring blueprint for cities worldwide:

• Environmental rehabilitation: Turning heavily polluted industrial zones like the historical "Black City" into the eco-friendly, master-planned "White City."
• Green spaces: The creation and total renovation of over 100 parks, squares, and gardens, heavily prioritising public well-being.
• Micromobility and transit: A comprehensive transit concept featuring underground expansions and a modern fleet of electric buses.

From the architectural marvels of its ancient cities like Shamakhi, Ganja, and Sheki, to the functional 15-century-old sewage systems of Lahij, Azerbaijan has a rich historical legacy of urban innovation that it continues to honour today.

The audacity of progress: President Aliyev’s visionary address

In a compelling and grounded address, President Ilham Aliyev offered a masterclass on the delicate balance required of modern leaders. Using a brilliant local metaphor, he compared urban planning to the Formula One city circuit race held on the streets of Baku:

"The speed on the main speedy street is more than 300 kilometres per hour, and then the pilots have to push the brake and squeeze the bullets into a seven-metre-wide street, just one metre next to the ancient city wall... We must be brave in development, in the creation of better conditions for our people, in modernisation, but at the same time very cautious when it comes to the preservation of our historical heritage."

This philosophy of being "brave and cautious" is currently guiding Azerbaijan's most monumental undertaking: the "Great Return" programme in Karabakh and East Zangezur.

Moreover, President Aliyev brought the international community face-to-face with the staggering reality of the post-conflict territories. Areas like Aghdam, which was once dubbed the "Hiroshima of the Caucasus" due to three decades of total levelling and dismantling, are being systematically reborn. The scale of the reconstruction completed in just five years is unprecedented, with the construction of 70 kilometres of tunnels through challenging terrain, the completion of 435 bridges out of a planned 500, and the establishment of three brand-new international airports, modern power grids, schools, hospitals, and water reservoirs.

More than 85,000 Azerbaijanis have already returned to their ancestral lands. Crucially, the government is focusing on human-centred urbanism by establishing industrial zones ahead of population returns to guarantee immediate employment and economic dignity. This rapid, high-tech reconstruction is the ultimate proof of ownership and love for the land.

Furthermore, the global resonance of Azerbaijan’s efforts was echoed clearly by international leaders. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock both emphasised via video messages that WUF13 arrives at a critical juncture of global housing and climate crises.

Nga Kor Ming, President of the UN-Habitat Assembly, captured the spirit of the host nation by highlighting the urgent need to bridge the $5.4 trillion annual financing gap for climate-resilient infrastructure. He beautifully invoked a celebrated Azerbaijani proverb to inspire the delegates:

“Dama-dama göl olar, axa-axa sel olar.” (Drop by drop, a lake is formed, and by flowing, a river is made.)

As UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach officially declared the forum open, she praised the resilience and quick adaptability of the Azerbaijani hosts, noting that the solutions to housing nearly 3 billion people with inadequate shelter rest in the collective wisdom gathered in the hall.

Looking at all this in general, it allows us to say that WUF13 in Baku is more than a conference. Azerbaijan has proven that it is possible to recover from devastation, transform industrial pollution into green sanctuaries, and build smart cities without losing one's historical soul. The "Baku Call to Action" emerging from this forum will undoubtedly carry the wisdom, hospitality, and unstoppable momentum of its host nation, creating a river of action where truly no one and no place is left behind.