Baku: An event themed 'NGO Forum: Global Partnerships and Decision-Making' was held for the first time as part of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13). Organized by the Azerbaijan State Agency for Support to NGOs, the forum focused on the role of civil society in inclusive urban planning and sustainable urban development.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Anacl¡udia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), expressed her satisfaction with Azerbaijan's active participation in the national urban forum. She emphasized the importance of community and stakeholder engagement in Azerbaijan's reconstruction process and noted that tackling the global housing crisis is impossible without the involvement of NGOs.
Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, highlighted the success of the Global South NGO Platform, which was established within the framework of COP29. The platform's General Assembly was established this year, and Hajiyev expressed optimism about its future. He also pointed out that issues such as rapid urbanization, population growth, and climate change are challenges that all states, including Azerbaijan, are currently facing.
Hajiyev also emphasized Azerbaijan's rich history of urban planning, mentioning ancient cities like Gabala as historical centers of trade, science, cooperation, and culture. He added that preserving cultural heritage while developing modern cities remains a significant challenge.
Aygun Aliyeva, Executive Director of the Azerbaijan State Agency for Support to NGOs, stated that Azerbaijan has recently become a hub for major international initiatives and solidarity platforms in civil society. These events and platforms offer new opportunities for dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity among civil society representatives from various regions.
Luis Gallegos, Chairman of the Board of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), stressed the need for cities to be built inclusively, taking into account the needs of women, men, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. He noted that while multilateral cooperation in decision-making is complex, the UN remains a crucial platform for solving global problems, with NGOs playing an integral role in this process.