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UN official: Azerbaijan contributes to cooperation with the Global South

19 May 2026 16:32 (UTC +04:00)

“I would especially like to note Azerbaijan’s contribution to cooperation with the Global South,” Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation Dima Al-Khatib said during the event titled “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnerships and Decision-Making,” APA reports.

“I would especially like to highlight Azerbaijan’s contribution to the development of many global initiatives and networks, as well as to strengthening cooperation within the Global South and beyond. Today, cities stand at the center of the global sustainable development agenda. The fate of most Sustainable Development Goals will be determined precisely in cities. Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and by 2050 it is projected that approximately 70 percent of humanity will live in urban areas. In Global South countries, where around 90 percent of future urbanization growth is expected to occur, cities face increasing pressures related to climate change, water security, inequality, migration, housing shortages, and infrastructure gaps. At the same time, cities are spaces of innovation, resilience, and transformation.

As urbanization accelerates, the importance of inclusive urban planning and participatory governance increases even further. This makes local governance, public participation, and multilateral partnerships more important than ever before. In this context, non-governmental organizations and civil society institutions serve as a bridge between the global agenda and local realities. In most Global South countries, NGOs also act as innovators, service providers, and trusted partners in supporting vulnerable communities. They operate on the front lines of urban transformation processes such as climate adaptation measures, disaster preparedness, youth participation, digital inclusion, and access to essential services. Their proximity to communities allows them to act quickly, identify emerging needs at an early stage, test practical solutions, and help governments develop more flexible and inclusive urban policies.

At the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation — UNOSSC — we firmly believe that sustainable development solutions become stronger when they are built on local ownership, demand-driven approaches, and shared experiences. This creates opportunities for countries, cities, institutions, and communities of the Global South to exchange practical knowledge, scalable innovations, and policy solutions based on shared development realities. NGOs operating within the Global South platform can play an important role in this direction. Cities in the Global South are already learning from one another in areas such as affordable housing, sustainable transport systems, waste management, renewable energy, and other priority fields. The urban agenda also stands at the center of our activities at the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation,” she noted.