00:00We leverage the Forum technically and politically.
00:06We have been able to showcase concrete solutions
00:11and already design a roadmap.
00:18Organized by UN Habitat,
00:20the World Urban Forum has served as a global platform
00:23where cities and countries were able to share knowledge, experiences
00:27and innovative approaches to urban development.
00:29Supporting the new urban agenda due to be reviewed
00:32at the United Nations headquarters in July.
00:35We have been able to design a structure of the Forum
00:39that speaks directly to our strategic plan.
00:42This means that for UN Habitat,
00:45all the inputs from here,
00:46we can take into action immediately
00:49as we implement our strategic plan for 26-29.
00:53Intense talks and debates have led to new relationships,
00:56sharing good practices,
00:57but also understanding those lessons learned.
01:00Sustainability and equity lay at the heart of the conference,
01:05but positivity and hope were at the core.
01:08As you can see, 300 different partner-level events,
01:11sessions and conferences have been organized
01:13along with the expos of the countries.
01:16They provided their concept of the urban development
01:19and city development and interaction.
01:21I think that at this stage, we are learning from one another.
01:24It is one of the important legacies from our cultures,
01:27from our urban agendas,
01:29and from our ambitions for the development.
01:31The road to WUF-13 in Baku
01:33began during the handover from WUF-12 in Cairo.
01:37It's resulted in over 57,000 participants
01:39from 176 countries,
01:41making it the largest addition to date
01:43and hosted over 150 ministers and deputy ministers.
01:47Being hosted here in Baku,
01:50that's a very important signal at the global level
01:53that our cities in this region are leading,
01:57are bringing very important examples
02:00to other partners from Africa, from Latin America,
02:04from the Middle East Arab states
02:05on how urbanization could be tackled,
02:09how the local climate action could be responded to.
02:13So therefore, that's a very important and timely forum.
02:16Hosting the forum requires extensive preparation.
02:19Organization to manage thousands of people at the venue
02:22was at the forefront of the construction stage
02:25and venue managers' plans,
02:26and the Urban Expo was an area
02:28where all nations were represented.
02:30Urban Expo is a 35,000 square meters area
02:33when it looks like an open square city,
02:38city square,
02:40when dynamic, modular, highly interactive.
02:42All the people, when it's going inside,
02:45like to interact inside this space,
02:47when the countries, companies,
02:49international organizations,
02:51businesses, academias from all over the world.
02:55Architecture of the venue was also a huge consideration,
02:58with careful thought and planning
03:00central to the decision-making.
03:02For me, functionality and workability comes first
03:05rather than visual design,
03:07and that's why it affected in every decision we made.
03:11For example, at the planning stage,
03:13planning of the circulation and operational efficiency.
03:16After solving this planning stage of the design,
03:20we focused on the visual side of it,
03:22so it's well-balanced and it's well-composed
03:25and looks clear from the outside.
03:28From thematic strands and expert dialogues
03:31to new initiatives,
03:32the 13th session of the World Urban Forum here in Baku
03:36was designed to foster collaboration
03:38and exchange practical ideas.
03:41It brought together policymakers, planners,
03:43and urban specialists from across the globe
03:45to scrutinize the complex challenges facing cities today.
03:50Convened by UN Habitat
03:52and co-hosted by the government of Azerbaijan,
03:55WUF 13 featured more than 580 sessions
03:58and an urban expo that recorded over 74,000 visits,
04:02an incredible achievement.
04:04But now it's time to hand over the baton
04:06for the 14th session of the World Urban Forum,
04:08which will take place in 2028.
04:11The destination, Mexico City.
04:13I also came to see how this forum was
04:20to provide the best conditions in the city of Mexico
04:24and that we can go ahead with a forum
04:28that has a very good coordination,
04:32that it gives the certainty to the participants,
04:35that it can take advantage of it.
04:37Because look, here came representatives from all the world.
04:42They crossed the oceans.
04:43For Azerbaijan, there's no doubt
04:46that the privilege of hosting a world-class event
04:48will change how we live in the future.
04:50It's a chapter that's not ended.
04:52In fact, it appears to be the beginning
04:54of an exciting new era.
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