Preparations for the UN World Urban Forum, scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan this May, are ongoing across both organizational and substantive frameworks. Yalchin Rafiyev, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister and COP29 Lead Negotiator, shared this update in a statement to journalists.
According to him, for the first time, the forum will be held in a Leaders’ Summit format, underscoring the high-level nature of the proceedings. He noted that the forum will feature plenary sessions, thematic panels, dialogues, and diverse discussions, reflecting the event’s complex and multi-dimensional character. Through this platform, Azerbaijan aims to showcase its national urban planning experience, particularly the innovative urbanization models implemented in the liberated territories, to the international community, while fostering a global environment for dialogue on contemporary architecture and urban planning, he added.
Highlighting the importance of the “Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Youth Week,” Yalchin Rafiyev noted that the platform was established at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev during Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Movement. He emphasized that in a rapidly transforming world, young people are no longer merely "consumers" of established policies, but have emerged as a vital social segment capable of influencing their formation.
The Deputy Minister called on the youth to maximize their participation in such platforms and share their perspectives openly. He stressed that the ideas voiced by young people will serve as a significant resource for diplomats in shaping future global policies.
