President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has proposed hosting the 15th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF15) in the "New Tashkent" district in 2030. As reported by the Operative Information Center-OMM, the Uzbek leader made this announcement during the Leaders Summit held as part of WUF13 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Mirziyoyev suggested that the central theme for the 2030 forum should be "The role of local communities in sustainable urban development." He emphasized that the increasing level of urbanization further elevates the importance of traditional self-governance systems. "I am confident that today's event will make a significant contribution to the joint search for mutually beneficial and promising solutions, the advancement of new initiatives, and the development of the urbanization sector as a whole," the President stated. He noted that with nearly 70% of the world's population expected to live in cities by the mid-21st century, the focus on safe and sustainable communities remains a critical global priority.
The World Urban Forum, established by the United Nations in 2001, serves as the premier global platform for examining the most pressing issues facing human settlements. Uzbekistan's bid to host the 15th session comes at a time of rapid domestic growth; the country expects its population to reach 50 million by 2035, with urbanization rates rising to 65%. To manage this transition, the Uzbek government currently allocates approximately $2 billion annually for affordable housing and aims to increase urban greening to 30% by 2030. Additionally, Mirziyoyev proposed the creation of an International Alliance for "Smart and Safe Cities" to ensure equal access to artificial intelligence and digital transformation in urban management.
