The forum, which will be held for the first time in the Caspian and South Caucasus region, is expected to attract about 10,000 international participants, including many heads of state and government, and about 30,000 participants in total, Eldar Rasulov, Media Relations Manager of the WUF13 Azerbaijan Operating Company, told APA.
“Unlike previous WUF13 events, the forum will be held with the participation of numerous heads of state and government. 40 main sessions and 350 partner events will be organized within the framework of the event. The main events of the forum will be provided with simultaneous translation in eight languages, including sign language,” he emphasized.
Noting that the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum is one of the most prestigious international platforms jointly organized by the UN Habitat and the Government of Azerbaijan, Eldar Rasulov said that the WUF13 Azerbaijan Operating Company began its activities on June 30, 2025, to organize the event at a high level: “In a short period of time, comprehensive work has been carried out in areas such as institutional preparation, spatial infrastructure planning, operations management, transportation, marketing and communication.”
Stressing the role of volunteers in the successful holding of the forum, Rasulov said that a Volunteer Center was established for this purpose and 16 thousand applications were registered during the registration period: “2,500 volunteers who successfully completed the training will work in various areas of the event.”
Rasulov, who said that the Baku Olympic Stadium was chosen as the venue for the event and that it was planned to be held in accordance with the ISO 20121 standard, noted that countries, cities, municipalities, regional organizations, UN organizations, academic institutions, international financial and civil society organizations, foundations and private companies could participate in the “Urban Expo” exhibition to be organized within the framework of the forum:
“WUF13 is a platform open to everyone, and registration is free of charge. The registration process for participation in WUF13 began in September of this year on the official website of UN-Habitat.”
He emphasized that special attention was paid to transportation issues during the forum so that participants could reach the venue comfortably: “A Master Plan of Transport Exchange Centers has been prepared and 11 transport hubs have been identified. Work is ongoing to map routes to Heydar Aliyev International Airport, hotels, city centers and Baku Olympic Stadium.”
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
