President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan's steadfast commitment to urban planning and sustainable growth during his speech at the opening ceremony of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13). The President noted that since 2022, Azerbaijan has successfully organized three National Urban Forums in collaboration with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the head of state highlighted that these significant events were held in Aghdam, Zangilan, and Khankendi—cities that had been under occupation for nearly three decades. "By organizing this global event today, we once again demonstrate our great commitment to urban planning and its development," President Ilham Aliyev stated during his address.
The World Urban Forum, established by the United Nations in 2001, is the world's premier conference on municipal issues and sustainable urbanization. Azerbaijan's active participation and hosting of such forums underscore the country's extensive reconstruction efforts in the Garabagh region. Under the "Great Return" program, the Republic of Azerbaijan is currently implementing large-scale infrastructure projects, utilizing modern "smart city" and "smart village" concepts to rebuild territories affected by the former conflict.
