BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 10. The UN is currently
at a very high level of cooperation with Azerbaijan, UN’s interim
resident coordinator in Azerbaijan, Igor Garafulic, told Trend.
He recalled that the UN signs agreements with member states for
a five-year period.
“In October last year, we signed a new cooperation framework
covering 2026-2030, and this document encompasses all of
Azerbaijan’s priorities.
Among these priorities, the environment and urban planning
sectors occupy a special place. There is very fluid and good
communication with the government.
We have been here for more than 33 years, and during this time
we have had many cooperation frameworks. In this new framework,
priorities have been defined more precisely and more focused. Your
Azerbaijani government specifically stated that the main area of
cooperation with the UN should be the environment. Therefore, all
our agencies operating in the field of environment — FAO, UN
Environment Program, and others — work on the priorities set by the
Ministries of Ecology and Economy.
In general, the process is very well synchronized. We know what
Azerbaijan wants and are happy to support it in these areas,” he
said.
He emphasized that Azerbaijan is a very good member of the
international community.
“The country submits voluntary reports every year to show the
progress it has made. This is very positive, because other
countries can learn from Azerbaijan’s experience. At the same time,
Azerbaijan also benefits from the experience of other countries.
This is the essence of the UN – we work not only on resources and
finances, but also on sharing development experiences. Countries
learn from each other, and in this sense, Azerbaijan both
contributes and learns.”
Garafulic also spoke about Azerbaijan hosting WUF13. “I am sure
that Azerbaijan will host the 13th session of the UN World Urban
Forum (WUF13) in May, and it will be a very successful event.
Azerbaijan did a very good job in the COP29 experience, and this
experience is being applied now. Therefore, I do not doubt that
everything will be successful.
I personally meet with representatives of UN-Habitat and other
UN agencies every two weeks and follow the preparation process. I
also see the construction of the Olympic Stadium, pavilions, and
the general preparation process. I’m sure that everything will be
ready on time.
Our participation will be at the highest level. UN-Habitat
Executive Director, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Jane
Mohammed, and other senior UN officials will attend the forum. Many
high-level representatives from various UN offices will also
come.
We are also pleased to meet with heads of state and invited
ministers. This is an important meeting for the world. As for
agreements and memorandums, each agency has its own work plans with
individual ministries, but as a UN, the cooperation framework acts
as a common ‘umbrella’ for us and allows us to coordinate our
activities in all areas. We are now authorized to work based on
that agreement,” he concluded.
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