Baku: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) held a press conference as part of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) dedicated to the presentation of a new strategic partnership on 'The Future of Cities.'

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the partnership aims to establish a multilateral platform to promote inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and digitally enabled urban development. It is designed to support the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event was attended by Anacl¡udia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, and Jeffrey Sachs, Professor at Columbia University and President of SDSN.

Speaking to the event, Anacl¡udia Rossbach emphasized that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between UN-Habitat and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, marking the start of cooperation between the two sides. She described the partnership as an important initiative for fostering collaboration and dialogue on the future of cities. She also stressed that the world is rapidly urbanizing, with urbanization expected to reach 70 percent in the next two decades.

In his address, Jeffrey Sachs highlighted that cities are currently confronting major challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, conflicts, and reconstruction. He stressed that future cities should be green, digital, safe, and focused on people's well-being.