BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18. The second day of the
13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) has concluded in
Baku, Trend
reports.
More than 40,000 participants from 182 countries have registered
for the forum, making it one of the largest gatherings in the
history of the World Urban Forum, one of the world’s leading
platforms focused on urban planning and sustainable
development.
Thus, the official opening press conference was held on the
second day of WUF13. The press conference discussed the global
housing crisis, safe, sustainable urban development, urbanization
policies, and priority issues for strengthening urban
resilience.
Today, the Leaders’ Summit was also held for the first time in
the history of the WUF. During the day, the Joint Closing Ceremony
of the Assemblies, a ministerial meeting for the African region,
and a session of MINURVI, the Forum of Ministers and High-Level
Officials for Housing and Urbanization in Latin America and the
Caribbean, were organized.
The second day of WUF13 included an official opening ceremony of
the “Urban Expo” exhibition. The 3.5-hectare “Urban Expo”
exhibition has brought together more than 217 organizations from 66
countries.
Today, forum participants also spoke to the media about the
importance of holding WUF13 in Baku, the significance of
Azerbaijan’s successful hosting of international events, and the
country’s active role in global cooperation initiatives. Each of
the forum participants emphasized that it is an important platform
for presenting Azerbaijan’s experience in sustainable development
and modern urban planning to an international audience.
The forum, which runs through May 22, is jointly organized by
the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the
Government of Azerbaijan. Held under the theme “Housing the World:
Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities,” WUF13 is focusing on
issues including the global housing crisis, sustainable
urbanization, climate resilience, and modern urban governance.
Below are some photos from the second day of WUF13 from the Baku
Olympic Stadium, which sparkles like a pearl in the center of Baku
on a sunny spring day:
Photo – Arif Guluzade
