Azerbaijan and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the urban planning of villages in the country's liberated territories. This partnership marks a significant step in the post-conflict reconstruction efforts currently underway in the region.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, announced the development on his social media account. "Today in New York, together with UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach, we signed an agreement opening a new phase of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the organization," Guliyev stated.
Under this joint initiative, UN-Habitat will directly contribute to the planning process for rural settlements in the liberated areas. Specifically, the project will focus on drafting territorial planning documents for Quycaq village in the Jabrayil district and Mollabayramli village in the Kalbajar district. This partnership is designed to support the implementation of the "Great Return" program, aiming to create high-quality, sustainable, and human-centered living environments for citizens returning to their ancestral lands.
The "Great Return" program is a comprehensive state strategy initiated by the government of Azerbaijan to rehabilitate and reintegrate the liberated territories of Garabagh and East Zangazur. Following the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, which ended the decades-long occupation of these lands, Azerbaijan launched large-scale infrastructure projects, including the construction of "smart villages," international airports, and modern road networks, to facilitate the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes.
