For the first time in the history of WUF13, the WUF13 NGO Forum was held at the initiative of Azerbaijan

Within the framework of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13), an event on the topic "NGO Forum: Global Partnerships and Decision-Making" was held for the first time.

At the forum organized by the Agency for State Support of Non-Governmental Organizations, the role of civil society in inclusive urban planning and sustainable urban development was discussed.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Anaclaudia Rossbach, expressed satisfaction with Azerbaijan's participation in the national urban development forum.

She also added that without the participation of NGOs, solving the global housing crisis is impossible.

Assistant to the President - Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev stated that the Global South NGO Platform established within the framework of COP29 is already becoming a successful international initiative.

"This year, the General Assembly of this platform was established, and I look to the future of this initiative with great hope. The challenges related to cities - rapid urbanization, population growth, and climate change - are already on the agenda of all states. Azerbaijan also feels the consequences of climate change," he said.

Emphasizing that Azerbaijan has ancient traditions of urban development, H. Hajiyev noted that ancient cities such as Gabala have historically been centers of trade, science, cooperation, and culture.

"Today, one of the main challenges alongside the development of modern cities is the preservation of cultural heritage," he added.

Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation Dima Al-Khatib noted that the participation of civil society institutions and multilateral partnerships are of great importance for addressing global challenges in the direction of sustainable urban development.

Former Executive Director of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and current adviser to the Malaysian government on sustainable urbanization, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, said that NGOs are not only participants in global forums but also a connecting force between people, policy, and practice.

"Civil society organizations play an important bridging role between governments, international organizations, the private sector, and local communities. Not only the state and the private sector, but people must also be an important part of this partnership," she emphasized.

Chairperson of the Board of the Agency for State Support of NGOs Aygun Aliyeva noted that important international initiatives and solidarity platforms in the field of civil society are being formed in Azerbaijan.

"International events clearly demonstrate that Azerbaijan is becoming an important platform uniting civil society representatives from various regions. These platforms create new opportunities for dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity," she added.

According to the former Secretary of the Executive Board of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and Head of the Intergovernmental Relations Division, Christian Mensah, for the first time in the history of WUF, NGOs from different countries of the world have united on a single platform: "This is an important step in terms of ensuring their more active participation and engagement within the session. WUF13 creates new opportunities for integrating local and regional perspectives into the global policy-making process."

Chairperson of the Advisory Council of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Luis Gallegos, noted that cities should be built taking into account the needs of women, men, and children.

"At the same time, special attention should be given to the needs of elderly people and persons with disabilities. The decision-making process is a complex and responsible task in the context of multilateral cooperation. Nevertheless, the UN remains one of the most important platforms for solving global problems, and NGOs must be an integral part of this process," he said.

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