How Azerbaijan turned urban diplomacy into a global political platform

In international affairs, some events follow protocol, generate headlines for a few days, and gradually fade from public attention. Others manage to reshape the framework through which global challenges are discussed.

The 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), hosted in Baku, belongs to the latter category, News.az reports.

What was formally a forum dedicated to urban development evolved into something much broader: a discussion about post-conflict reconstruction, sustainable development, international cooperation, environmental responsibility, and the role of cities in addressing some of the most pressing challenges of the twenty-first century. Through WUF13 and its final document, the Baku Call to Action, Azerbaijan demonstrated not only its ability to host a major international gathering but also its growing capacity to contribute to the formation of the global agenda.

From climate diplomacy to urban diplomacy

Following the successful hosting of COP29, Azerbaijan once again found itself at the center of a major international process. While COP29 focused on climate policy and global environmental governance, WUF13 concentrated on cities, urbanization, housing, infrastructure, and sustainable development.

Yet the distinction is less significant than it may initially appear.

Modern cities are where the consequences of climate change, migration, conflict, economic transformation, demographic pressures, and technological change become most visible. Urban spaces serve simultaneously as economic engines, centers of innovation, repositories of historical memory, and front lines of resilience against crises.

This broader understanding helped transform WUF13 from a specialized professional event into a platform for high-level political dialogue.

A record-breaking forum with global participation

The scale of WUF13 was unprecedented.

More than 57,000 participants from 176 countries attended the forum, making it the largest session in the history of the World Urban Forum. The final Baku Call to Action even refers to participation exceeding 58,000 people.

Such figures are important not only because they reflect organizational success. They also demonstrate the growing relevance of urban issues in global policymaking.

Representatives included:

• Heads of state and government

• Ministers

• International organizations

• Urban planners

• Academics

• Development institutions

• Municipal leaders

• Civil society representatives

• Private-sector stakeholders

The diversity of participants reflected a growing recognition that urban development can no longer be separated from broader questions of governance, security, sustainability, and economic growth.

The significance of the Leaders’ Statements Session

One of the most notable innovations introduced during WUF13 was the Leaders’ Statements Session, organized at the initiative of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

For the first time in the history of the World Urban Forum, heads of state and government were brought together within a dedicated high-level format.

Twenty-seven leaders and senior international officials participated.

This development significantly expanded the political profile of the forum.

Urban policy was no longer discussed solely as a technical matter involving architecture, zoning regulations, or municipal administration. Instead, it became part of a broader conversation about global governance, conflict recovery, resilience, and sustainable development.

In practical terms, Azerbaijan succeeded in elevating WUF from a specialized professional gathering into a diplomatic platform with global political relevance.

Why cities have become central to international politics

The transformation of WUF13 reflects broader changes in global affairs.

Increasingly, major international challenges manifest themselves first within cities.

Wars destroy neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and public infrastructure. Climate change affects transportation systems, water supplies, housing, and public health. Migration pressures are experienced most directly in urban environments. Economic inequalities often become visible through urban geography.

As a result, urban policy has become inseparable from discussions about:

• Security

• Human rights

• Social justice

• Climate adaptation

• Economic resilience

• International development

The city has become one of the central arenas where contemporary political challenges are managed and addressed.

Azerbaijan’s post-conflict reconstruction as a global case study

Azerbaijan arrived at WUF13 with a distinctive experience that few countries can present on a similar scale.

The reconstruction of Karabakh and East Zangezur represents one of the most ambitious post-conflict recovery projects currently underway anywhere in the world.

The effort involves:

• Restoration of nine cities

• Reconstruction of more than 100 villages

• Modern infrastructure development

• Environmental rehabilitation

• Cultural heritage restoration

• Reintegration of displaced populations

The destruction left by decades of occupation and conflict has often been described through concepts such as urbicide, ecocide, and culturicide.

Against this backdrop, Azerbaijan's contribution to WUF13 was not theoretical. It reflected practical experience gained through large-scale reconstruction efforts already being implemented on the ground.

The Great Return as more than an infrastructure program

One of the most important themes highlighted by Azerbaijan during the forum was the Great Return program.

On the surface, the initiative focuses on tangible development projects:

• Housing construction

• Road networks

• Utility systems

• Schools

• Healthcare facilities

• Smart city technologies

• Smart village concepts

However, the broader significance of the program extends beyond infrastructure.

At its core, the Great Return concerns the restoration of human connections to places of origin.

For hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons, returning home is not simply a logistical process. It represents the recovery of identity, memory, and social continuity.

The rebuilding of cities therefore becomes inseparable from the rebuilding of communities.

International recognition of Azerbaijan’s reconstruction model

A significant diplomatic achievement emerged from discussions during the ministerial segment of WUF13.

The Chair’s Summary recognized Azerbaijan’s reconstruction efforts and highlighted aspects of the country's experience as potentially useful for other post-conflict situations around the world.

This acknowledgment is important because it elevates Azerbaijan's reconstruction activities from a domestic policy initiative to a reference point within broader international discussions on recovery and resilience.

Countries facing post-conflict reconstruction challenges increasingly seek practical examples of successful recovery models.

WUF13 provided Azerbaijan with an opportunity to present its experience to a global audience.

Building an institutional legacy

Many international forums generate extensive publicity but leave little lasting impact.

One of the strengths of WUF13 was its emphasis on creating institutional outcomes designed to extend beyond the event itself.

Several initiatives reflected this approach:

• The Baku Call to Action

• The Baku Urban Award

• Development of operational guidance for future WUF sessions

• The Baku Call for Breathing Cities

These initiatives indicate an effort not merely to host a successful forum but to contribute permanently to the future evolution of global urban policy discussions.

Environmental leadership beyond COP29

Another notable dimension of WUF13 was its environmental agenda.

At the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, a high-level discussion focused on air quality and green infrastructure in sustainable cities.

The resulting Baku Call for Breathing Cities proposed establishing clean air as a permanent topic within future World Urban Forum agendas.

This initiative illustrates an important continuity between COP29 and WUF13.

Rather than treating environmental issues solely as global climate challenges, the discussion shifted toward the quality of everyday urban life.

Clean air, accessible green spaces, and sustainable infrastructure directly affect millions of urban residents around the world.

Baku as a symbol of modern urban transformation

The host city itself played an important role in shaping perceptions of the forum.

Baku presents a distinctive urban landscape where historical heritage coexists with modern development.

The city combines:

• Medieval architecture

• Contemporary skyscrapers

• Revitalized waterfront areas

• Modern transportation infrastructure

• Expanding public spaces

• Cultural landmarks

This combination serves as a visible example of how modernization can occur while preserving historical identity.

For many international visitors, Baku provided a practical demonstration of the themes being discussed throughout the forum.

The rise of thematic diplomacy

WUF13 also highlighted an increasingly important trend in international relations.

Diplomacy today extends far beyond traditional negotiations concerning security and geopolitics.

Many of the most influential international conversations now occur through thematic platforms focused on issues such as:

• Climate

• Urbanization

• Water resources

• Transportation

• Energy

• Technology

• Cultural heritage

Countries increasingly compete not only through economic strength or military power but also through their ability to convene meaningful international dialogue.

The successful organization of WUF13 reinforces Azerbaijan’s growing role within this evolving diplomatic landscape.

The human dimension of urban development

Perhaps the most important message emerging from WUF13 concerned the relationship between urban development and human dignity.

The forum repeatedly emphasized that conflict affects more than physical infrastructure. It disrupts lives, displaces communities, destroys educational opportunities, damages healthcare systems, and erodes social cohesion.

The Baku Call to Action recognized the devastating consequences of war, conflict, and urbicide on human settlements and emphasized the importance of reconstruction, resilience, and sustainable recovery.

In this sense, urban policy becomes a question of rights:

• The right to housing

• The right to return home

• The right to clean air

• The right to safe infrastructure

• The right to development

• The right to preserve cultural memory

These themes gave WUF13 a broader moral and political significance.

More than an international event

The success of WUF13 strengthened Azerbaijan’s reputation as a country capable of organizing large-scale international events at the highest level.

However, the forum’s importance extends beyond logistics and protocol.

WUF13 demonstrated how urban development can serve as a bridge between local realities and global challenges. It provided Azerbaijan with an opportunity to showcase its reconstruction experience, contribute new ideas to international policy discussions, and strengthen its position as an active participant in shaping global agendas.

Most importantly, the forum offered a reminder that rebuilding cities is ultimately about rebuilding lives. Through WUF13 and the Baku Call to Action, Azerbaijan presented a vision in which urban development is not merely a technical process but a means of restoring communities, creating opportunity, and transforming places once marked by destruction into foundations for future growth.

In that sense, WUF13 was not simply a forum about cities. It was a forum about resilience, recovery, and the capacity of societies to build a better future after conflict and crisis.

News.Az