Urban climate and security approaches must be integrated to effectively address the growing challenges of urbanization and environmental crises, a United Nations official stated during high-level discussions in Azerbaijan.
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, Antonio Sampayo, an advisor to the UN Climate Security Mechanism, made these remarks during a session titled "Shaping Safer and More Resilient Cities: Draft Policy Paper on Urban Climate, Peace, and Security" held as part of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
"We are not proposing the creation of entirely new bureaucracies or a separate policy area. Instead, the goal is to link lessons learned from existing fields. One of the ideas I shared with Matti is that climate security mechanisms already operate through climate security advisors. However, we can integrate urban climate, peace, and security issues into the advisory and risk planning analyses carried out through those existing frameworks. Another important point we noted in the report is the identification of climate stress factors, intervention points, and exposure elements," Sampayo noted.
The expert further emphasized that local governance must become a key actor in climate security. He highlighted that municipalities, local service providers, and civil society are often the first to observe and respond to increasing environmental pressures, yet they frequently lack the necessary resources and are excluded from high-level security discourses. "Cities should be treated not just as sites of vulnerability, but as frontline actors and sources of innovative solutions. Strengthening municipal capacity must be a central pillar of the climate, peace, and security agenda," he added.
The World Urban Forum, established by the United Nations in 2001, is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization. The discussions in Baku underscore Azerbaijan's growing role as a hub for international climate diplomacy, following its successful hosting of major global initiatives. By bringing together policymakers and experts, the forum aims to address the rapid challenges of urban growth and the necessity of building resilient infrastructure in the face of global climate change.
