An agreement has been signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the United Nations to host the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku in 2026.

The document was signed by Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan Anar Guliyev and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev said that hosting the World Urban Forum in Baku in 2026 is a testament to Azerbaijan`s growing international prestige. He noted that this recognition is attributed to the significant reforms and large-scale urban planning projects initiated by the Azerbaijani government, as well as the country`s contributions to the global agenda in this domain.

Hikmat Hajiyev also commended Azerbaijan`s hosting of prestigious events such as the World Urban Forum and COP29 in the coming years.

Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan Anar Guliyev highlighted the sustainable development achieved in the country over the past years through the application of advanced modern standards in urban planning in Baku and other regions of Azerbaijan. The Committee chairman described the large-scale projects carried out in the country and the hosting of the World Urban Planning Forum in Azerbaijan as indicators of its growing international prestige.

Anar Guliyev also touched upon the committee's joint projects with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, emphasizing the importance of Azerbaijani experts` representation in the UN-Habitat Expert Group for the first time, and the expansion of relations between the institutions.

Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif expressed gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for his contributions to urban planning, transforming Baku into one of the world`s most beautiful cities, and congratulated Azerbaijan on hosting two major events.

She lauded the fruitful cooperation of the UN Human Settlements Programme with Azerbaijan, highlighting successful joint projects on urban planning issues. She hailed the National Urban Forum held twice with the UN-Habitat support and the World Habitat Day in Baku this year, considering them important platforms for the exchange of ideas and experiences at the regional level.

Other speakers at the event included UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva, and Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN office in Nairobi Sultan Hajiyev.