Professor Dr Adam Saud
Twenty first century is witnessing a raid rise in urbanization across the whole world. Around fifty percent of the world population lives in the cities and the percentage is expected to grow even further in the near future. There is no doubt that urban centers provide better opportunities in terms of growth, social transformation, and innovation yet it also brings challenges like shortage of houses, climate vulnerabilities, social problems, and stress on health and education facilities. In order to manage such challenges, the UN Human Settlement Plan commonly known as the UN-Habitat, has established the World Urban Forum to provide a global platform for the sustainable urban development.
Twelve such forums have been conducted so far and the thirteenth Forum is planned during 17 to 22 May in Baku, Azerbaijan. Theme of 2026 forum is Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities. Azerbaijan has been striving for the sustainable development, urban modernization, and international engagement for a long period of time, and this forum will complement Baku’s aspirations to achieve these goals.
The Global Importance of the World Urban Forum
A Platform for Global Dialogue on Urbanization
The World Urban Forum was established in 2002 to support better urban development and governance. The Forum meets after every two years to discuss the ideas to manage urbanization effectively. It is a non legislative forum attended by stakeholders like the civil society, urban planner, city management, policy makers, and private sector. The Forum tries to foster global cooperation and support in the fields like infrastructure deficits, housing shortages, climate change and environmental issues, urban inequality, and population growth. Through dialogue and knowledge sharing, the forum allows countries and cities to learn from each other’s experiences and adopt innovative solutions to these challenges.
Advancing the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development
Under the patronage of UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat-III), the WUF monitors the progress on implementation of New Urban Agenda. Habitat-III serves as a guide to sustainable Urban development. This forum also contributes in implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) particularly SDG 11which aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The WUF meetings assess the progress as well as suggest measures regarding urban planning and development. Agenda for the 13th WUF in Baku is to discuss the growing urbanization which has led to the housing crises in urban centers across the world. Since, there is also a growing trend of urbanization in Azerbaijan, this forum will complement national urban policies with the global sustainable goals.
Promoting Innovation and Urban Partnerships
WUF also serves as a platform for partnership across different regions and sectors. Although, conducted under the official patronage of government, it also includes local government representatives, city governments, private investors and builders, civil society, and academicians and researchers. Such diverse participation makes it a unique forum. Such multilevel interactions always bring innovative solutions to the growing urban challenges. This forum also helps in showcasing of different case studies and successful urban development projects. Furthermore, exchange of ideas particularly in the areas like smart cities, climate resilient urban planning, and green infrastructure, are also materialized.
WUF13 in Baku: A Landmark Global Event
Azerbaijan has successfully brought international attention towards itself due to rational and global friendly policies. Holding of COP-29 and now WUF-13 reflect the significant moment for Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. As expected, participants from diverse background and across the world will be attending the Forum. This will help Baku to further strengthen its foreign policy and project its soft image to the international community. The best part of the Forum is that heads of the states and governments will also have a summit during the Forum. This will be the first ever such activity under WUF-13. This initiative underscores the increasing recognition that urbanization is not merely a local issue but a strategic global priority linked to economic development, climate resilience, and social stability.
Azerbaijan’s Development Vision and Urban Transformation
Urban Development as a National Priority
Azerbaijan is committed to develop the urban infrastructure as per the global standards, for which Baku has initiatives like green cities projects to achieve the sustainable urban development. Many projects to improve the housing, public transport, and other services have already been initiated. For the sake of urban development, it has officially declared 2026 as the “Year of Urban Planning and Development.” WUF13 in Baku compliments the national agenda of Azerbaijan’s seriousness towards sustainable urban development as an important strategic priority. Hosting WUF13 aligns closely with this national agenda by providing an international platform to showcase Azerbaijan’s urban transformation and development initiatives.
Reconstruction and Smart Cities Initiatives
Azerbaijan has also undertaken major reconstruction projects in regions affected by past conflicts, focusing on building modern, environmentally sustainable settlements. New cities and villages are being designed with energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy systems, and climate-resilient infrastructure. This policy reflects Azerbaijan’s commitment towards a “new generation of sustainable urban settlements” which focuses on the economic development while integrating the environmental sustainability with that. Such efforts will be complemented by the hosting of World Urban Forum in Baku this year.
Developmental Benefits of Hosting WUF13
Strengthening Azerbaijan’s Global Profile
Hosting of WUF 13 is a huge diplomatic success. Hosting of global forums under the UN and other global agencies is a matter of diplomatic prestige for any country. This Forum will further enhance the global visibility of Azerbaijan besides strengthening its soft power projection in foreign policy. This forum in Azerbaijan will complement Baku’s commitment as an active participant in the debates on topics like urban governance as well as sustainable development. After the successful hosting of COP 29 from 11-24 November 2024 in Baku, this event will further help Azerbaijan in reinforcing its reputation for the conduct of major global events. The hosting of WUF13 also demonstrates the country’s growing capacity to facilitate large-scale international events and contribute to global policy dialogues. It will also reinforce Azerbaijan’s soft power by enhancing its global visibility.
Promoting Investment and Economic Opportunities
Ince, WUF13 will be attended by multinational companies alongwith renewed developers, this Forum will help Azerbaijan to attract significant foreign direct investment not only in the smart cities and villages projects but also in other fields as well. Expected influx of thousands of participants will stimulate the industries like tourism, services, transportation, hospitality, and even the event managements as well as conduct of different conferences. It will further help Azerbaijan to attract substantial investment in the fields of real estate, urban development, and infrastructure. It is also expected that urban development exhibitions, innovation showcases, and networking events associated with the forum may connect Azerbaijani institutions with global investors, urban planners, and technology providers.
Encouraging Knowledge Transfer and Capacity Building
The WUF13 will help transferring the knowledge and expertise in the field of urban development. It will further help Azerbaijan in its urban planning and development not only in the liberated lands but in other cities as well. It will help the policy makers and researchers to share knowledge in the fields like smart cities technologies, sustainable housing, urban governance models, and climate resilient infrastructure. These interactions can help strengthen local institutional capacity and inform future urban planning strategies.
Stimulating Public Engagement in Urban Development
Azerbaijan has initiated “Azerbaijan Urban Campaign 2026” in advance to sensitize the communities as well as academic institutions and private sectors in order to get maximum benefit out of the WUF13. This will not only help the short-term Urban development goals but also sensitize the local societies and civil society organizations to contribute in the long term urban planning to shape the future of existing and new cities. Such participation will help the country to develop a more inclusive, sustainable, and participatory urban planning.
Long-Term Urban Development Legacy
The WUF13 in Baku is going to serve as a platform for the improved urban planning in Azerbaijan meeting the international standards. It will also serve as a platform for intensive linkages and continuous collaboration with global institutions and urban development agencies. Furthermore, this Forum will be helpful to integrate Azerbaijan’s initiatives with the global sustainability initiatives such as green urban development and climate resilience. Similarly, this Forum will help Baku to collaborate with global academic and research institutions in the fields or urban development and architecture. The discussions and interactions in the WUF13 would have a direct impact on Azerbaijan’s policies related to the infrastructure development, housing, and urban governance.
Conclusion
The WUF is a platform which provides chance of representation to every country in the world to discuss the challenges faced by urban development in order to come to smart solutions. This Forum provides the stakeholders a platform to share their experienced and expertise for a better tomorrow. It helps in fostering an environment where dialogue, innovation, and cooperation is discussed by the stakeholders to achieve sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities. Hosting of WUF13 in Baku reflects country’s growing global diplomatic presence. It will not only help Azerbaijan to strengthen its urban development initiatives, but will also serve as powerful diplomatic tool in fostering soft image at global level.
Beyond the immediate diplomatic and economic benefits, WUF13 offers Azerbaijan an opportunity to showcase its development vision, strengthen international partnerships, and advance innovative approaches to urban planning. By positioning itself at the center of global discussions on sustainable cities, Azerbaijan can reinforce its role as an emerging hub for international dialogue and development cooperation. Ultimately, the successful hosting of the World Urban Forum in Baku has the potential to complement Azerbaijan’s broader quest for modernization, sustainable development, and enhanced global integration.
Professor Dr Adam Saud
Bahria University, Islamabad Pakistan
