Baku: Azerbaijan's State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) have signed a landmark agreement to promote sustainable development in the East Zangezur Economic Region. The Contribution Agreement, titled 'Integrated Spatial Planning for Sustainable Urban Development - Towards Smart, Resilient and Inclusive Human Settlements in the East Zangezur Economic Region of the Republic of Azerbaijan,' was signed at the UN Headquarters.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture for Azerbaijan, and Anacl¡udia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, formalized the agreement, marking a new phase of cooperation. This collaboration will focus on designing settlements in Azerbaijan's liberated territories, supporting the return of residents as part of the Second State Program on the Great Return.
The agreement entails the collaboration of international experts from UN-Habitat with Azerbaijani specialists to prepare territorial planning documents for the villages of Guyjaq in the Jabrayil district and Mollabayramli in the Kalbajar district. A significant aspect of this partnership is the focus on developing national human capital and building institutional capacity.
Prior to the signing ceremony, discussions between Anar Guliyev and Anacl¡udia Rossbach explored current and future cooperative efforts in urban and spatial planning, sustainable urbanization, and climate-resilient city building. The parties also evaluated the urban development initiatives introduced during the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku and emphasized the importance of collaboration, especially in the context of the COP29.
Anacl¡udia Rossbach praised the organization of WUF13, highlighting that it was well-received by the UN system and international participants for aligning global agendas with local priorities. Additionally, ongoing preparations for a high-level meeting dedicated to the mid-term review of the New Urban Agenda's implementation were discussed, with the meeting scheduled to start at the UN General Assembly on July 16.
The UN-Habitat Executive Director expressed optimism about the adoption of the political declaration resulting from this collaboration, emphasizing the significant progress made and the contributions of partnerships formed at WUF13.