Baku: The document adopted at the conclusion of the 13th session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13), the 'Baku Call to Action,' may at first glance appear to be a technical document outlining priorities in the fields of urbanization and urban planning. However, its content carries far deeper political and geostrategic significance. The document confirms that in the modern era, cities are no longer merely places where people live, but have become key platforms for economic development, security, social resilience, climate policy, and international cooperation.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the decision to hold WUF13 in Baku and to name the forum's final document the 'Baku Call to Action' can be regarded as another indication of Azerbaijan's growing role on the international agenda. While Azerbaijan has in recent years established itself as an important actor in energy security, transport connectivity, and multilateral diplomacy, WUF13 demonstrated that the country is also becoming a focal point of global discussions on urbanization, sustainable development, and post-conflict reconstruction.

The expression of gratitude to the state and people of Azerbaijan in the forum's final document may appear to be a routine element of diplomatic protocol. However, this acknowledgment carries considerable political significance.

Bringing together more than 58,000 participants from 176 countries, WUF13 became the largest session in the history of the World Urban Forum. Hundreds of panel discussions, high-level meetings, ministerial sessions, forums of city leaders, international exhibitions, and thematic events were held during the forum. These figures represent a record among United Nations events dedicated to urbanization.

In contemporary international relations, the successful organization of events of such magnitude is considered an important indicator of a country's international influence. Hosting global forums requires not only financial and technical capacity but also a high degree of political trust. The ability of tens of thousands of participants, hundreds of international organizations, and dozens of state leaders to operate safely and effectively in a single city demonstrates international confidence in that country's organizational capabilities.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has positioned itself beyond a purely regional framework through its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, its active role within the Organization of Turkic States, the hosting of COP29, and numerous international forums. WUF13 represented the next stage of this process.

One of the elements specifically highlighted in the 'Baku Call to Action' is the Leaders' Statements Session, organized for the first time in the history of the forum. Held at Azerbaijan's initiative, the format brought together 27 heads of state and government.

This figure is more than a statistical indicator. In reality, it demonstrates that urbanization has risen to the highest level of international politics.

In the past, urban planning was largely regarded as a field discussed by municipalities, city administrators, and technical experts. In the twenty-first century, however, urbanization has become a central component of energy security, social stability, climate change adaptation, food security, migration management, and national development strategies.

According to United Nations estimates, approximately 56 percent of the world's population currently lives in urban areas. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to between 68 and 70 percent. Nearly 80 percent of global economic output is generated in cities. Consequently, urban governance has become one of the strategic priorities of national governments.

It is precisely this reality that makes the Leaders' Statements Session politically significant. By initiating this new format, Azerbaijan has joined the ranks of countries making a direct contribution to shaping the global urbanization agenda.

The specific reference in the 'Baku Call to Action' to examples of post-conflict reconstruction, including Azerbaijan's experience, may be considered one of the forum's most important political outcomes.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has been implementing an unprecedented reconstruction program in the territories liberated from occupation. More than 20 billion manats have been allocated from the state budget for this purpose. New highways, tunnels, airports, railways, energy infrastructure, residential settlements, and social facilities are being constructed.

The commissioning of the international airports of Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Lachin, the construction of hundreds of kilometers of roads, and projects aimed at transforming Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur into a green energy zone have attracted the attention of international experts.

Perhaps the most important aspect is that reconstruction is not being carried out solely as a physical construction project. Azerbaijan has placed digital governance, smart city technologies, renewable energy, environmental sustainability, and modern urban planning principles at the center of the process.

For this reason, the projects implemented in Karabakh are increasingly being viewed not merely as a national development program, but as a model of international post-conflict reconstruction.

The final document's call for prioritizing reconstruction and recovery efforts, alongside ensuring the return of internally displaced persons to their native lands, is of particular significance.

This provision may be regarded as evidence that an approach long advocated by Azerbaijan on international platforms is gaining broader global recognition.

The number of displaced persons and refugees worldwide has reached record levels, exceeding 120 million people. International experience shows, however, that political agreements alone are insufficient to enable people to return home. The restoration of settlements, creation of economic opportunities, provision of social services, and development of modern infrastructure are all essential prerequisites.

Azerbaijan's Great Return program is based precisely on these principles. Beginning with the village of Aghali, the process now extends to Lachin, Fuzuli, Shusha, Talish, Zabukh, Sus, and other settlements.

The inclusion of return and reintegration as an integral component of urbanization policy in the 'Baku Call to Action' may signal the beginning of a new stage in international approaches to displacement and recovery.

Another notable aspect of the document is its emphasis on the damage caused by conflict, war, and urbicide to schools, hospitals, homes, public infrastructure, and the environment.

The term 'urbicide' refers to the deliberate destruction of cities and human settlements. Events in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other conflict zones in recent years have elevated this issue into a major topic within international law and policy.

The inclusion of the concept in the Baku document demonstrates that the international community increasingly views the destruction of cities not merely as a consequence of military operations, but as a serious threat to human development.

This approach could influence future policies of international organizations concerning the protection and reconstruction of cities in conflict-affected areas.

The separate mention of the Baku City Award in the final document is also noteworthy.

In international practice, prestigious awards are often considered an important component of a country's soft power strategy. Just as the Nobel Prize contributes to Sweden's international image, the World Economic Forum enhances Switzerland's global profile, and the Munich Security Conference strengthens Germany's standing, the Baku City Award could eventually develop into a globally recognized platform in the field of urbanization.

Such initiatives encourage healthy competition among cities, promote innovative solutions, and strengthen international cooperation. They also ensure that the name of Baku remains permanently associated with the global urbanization agenda.

WUF13 and its final document, the 'Baku Call to Action,' demonstrated that Azerbaijan is increasingly becoming not only a participant in the international agenda, but also one of its contributors and shapers. The provisions adopted during the forum indicate international support for approaches promoted by Azerbaijan in areas such as post-conflict reconstruction, the return of displaced populations, urban resilience, climate challenges, and urban development policy.

If Baku was primarily known as an oil capital in the twentieth century, in the twenty-first century it is gradually emerging as an important center of international dialogue, global cooperation, and urban diplomacy. The 'Baku Call to Action' can therefore be viewed as the formal political recognition of this transformation. The outcomes of the forum suggest that Baku is no longer merely a city hosting international events, but a strategic platform where global development priorities are shaped and new political ideas are advanced.