A series of high-level international events dedicated to the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities” were held at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, APA reports.

A meeting of the Group of Friends (GoF) of UN-Habitat, Sustainable Urbanization and the New Urban Agenda was held on 29 January, co-chaired by the Permanent Missions of Poland and Zimbabwe to the United Nations. The meeting was organized in the lead-up to the mid-term review of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and brought together representatives from a broad range of UN Member States.

The meeting began with opening remarks from the co-chairs of the Group of Friends. It was followed by a presentation from Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, on the overarching framework, commitments, priorities and accountability mechanisms for implementing the New Urban Agenda. Subsequently, the co-facilitators of the political declaration of the New Urban Agenda review, the Permanent Representatives of Malawi and Poland to the United Nations, shared their perspectives on current challenges in urbanization and on the process of preparing the midterm review report.

It is worth highlighting that the UN-Habitat Group of Friends brings together 50 member states from all regions of the world, with the aim of strengthening dialogue and cooperation to promote inclusive, safe, sustainable and resilient urban development.

Within the framework of the meeting, a presentation on the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) was delivered by the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, providing information on the Forum’s theme, key events, and the preparation process for WUF13.

On 30 January 2026, a diplomatic briefing dedicated to WUF13 was jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and UN-Habitat. The event was attended by the heads of more than 100 permanent missions accredited to the United Nations, as well as observers and members of the diplomatic corps.

Delivering the opening remarks, Elvin Ashrafzada, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations, highlighted Azerbaijan’s contributions to global dialogue on sustainable urban development and underscored the importance of WUF13 in shaping collective responses to today’s pressing challenges.

In her remarks, Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said WUF13 is a vital platform for broadening dialogue, strengthening partnerships and promoting practical solutions to the global housing crisis affecting some three billion people worldwide. She stressed that the event will support implementation of the New Urban Agenda and contribute to the development of cities that are inclusive, safe, sustainable and resilient.

In her remarks, Gulshan Rzayeva, Deputy National Coordinator of WUF13, spoke about the new initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan within the framework of WUF13, including the organization, for the first time, of a Summit involving heads of state and government, the holding of a Ministerial meeting in a more interactive and results-oriented format, and the Urban Expo exhibition to be staged across 35,000 square metres. She noted that, as host country, Azerbaijan is demonstrating its strong commitment to the global development agenda by sharing national experience and presenting innovative solutions.

As part of the briefing, Omar Siddique, Head of UN-Habitat’s Canada Office, delivered a presentation outlining the WUF13 programme, key events and opportunities for participation. The briefing continued with a Q&A session, during which diplomats from Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Pakistan, El Salvador and other countries expressed their confidence in Azerbaijan’s ability to deliver WUF13 to a high standard.