President Ilham Aliyev Reviews Final Preparations for Record-Breaking World Urban Forum in Baku
Baku, The Gulf Observer: Ilham Aliyev visited the Baku Olympic Stadium on May 12 to review preparations for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum 13, scheduled to be held from May 17 to 22 under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.”
During the visit, Anar Guliyev and Adil Mammadov briefed the president on the ongoing preparations and operational arrangements for the global forum.
Officials informed President Aliyev that the event venue spans a total operational area of 53 hectares in and around the Baku Olympic Stadium, including dedicated zones for registration, conference halls, exhibitions, media operations, transport, technical support and volunteer services.
Special facilities have also been established for heads of state and government delegations, including reception areas, bilateral meeting rooms, lounges and catering services.
The main hall for the opening and closing ceremonies has a capacity of up to 6,000 participants, while approximately 300 parallel sessions, meetings and events are expected to be held daily during the forum.
The organisers said simultaneous interpretation services would be provided in the six official United Nations languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish — in addition to Azerbaijani and Turkish. International sign language services will also be available for participants with disabilities.
A dedicated media centre with a capacity for 600 people, including space for up to 400 journalists working simultaneously, has been established at the venue. The facility includes broadcast studios, interview rooms, press conference halls and media workstations.
The forum site also includes an Urban Expo Zone featuring 121 pavilions, including 41 national pavilions representing countries, international organisations, government institutions, private sector entities, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions.
Officials noted that transport systems, electric buses, airport transfers and parking facilities have been fully integrated into the event’s operational plan to facilitate smooth movement for participants and delegations.
According to organisers, more than 32,000 participants from 180 countries have already registered for the forum, making it the largest edition in the history of the World Urban Forum.
The forum, jointly organised by UN-Habitat and the Government of Azerbaijan, will also showcase Azerbaijan’s reconstruction and urban development initiatives in Garabagh and East Zangezur, including “smart city,” “smart village,” and green energy zone projects in the liberated territories.
WUF13 will additionally mark the first time that a Leaders’ Summit segment has been included in the programme of the World Urban Forum.
