On May 16, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

Anacláudia Rossbach said she was deeply impressed by the preparations she observed in Baku for the 13th Session of the UN World Urban Forum. She welcomed Azerbaijan’s innovative approaches to organizing this prestigious event, noting that they provide a strong foundation for a more productive session. Anacláudia Rossbach thanked Azerbaijan for all these efforts, expressing confidence that the country will host the forum excellently.

Recalling that Azerbaijan hosted COP29 at a high level, Anacláudia Rossbach underscored the significance of the country hosting WUF13 shortly thereafter. She noted that COP and WUF are recognized as two of the largest events within the UN system, emphasizing that Azerbaijan has built a bridge between these two platforms.

Anacláudia Rossbach praised Azerbaijan's voluntary financial contributions to the activities of the UN-Habitat Programme, commending the Azerbaijan–UN-Habitat cooperation, including the tradition of National Urban Planning Forums held in the country. She expressed hope that the cooperation would continue successfully in the future.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the kind words, emphasizing that Azerbaijan has undertaken all necessary measures to ensure the event is held at a high level. The head of state recalled that he had reviewed the preparations for WUF13 at the Baku Olympic Stadium a few days earlier, expressing hope that the event would yield tangible results.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan's experience related to the World Urban Forum, as well as the innovative approaches applied in the field of urban planning and the large-scale restoration and reconstruction efforts carried out in the post-conflict conditions in the liberated territories, serve as an example for other countries. He added that Azerbaijan is ready to share this experience.

During the conversation, the sides noted with satisfaction Azerbaijan's support for the UN-Habitat Programme, while discussing prospects for cooperation between the country and the organization.

Following the meeting, a Letter of Intent was signed between the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to collaborate on developing operational guidelines for hosting future World Urban Forum sessions, drawing on the WUF13 Baku standards. Based on the successful preparation process for WUF13 in Baku, the document will serve as a decision-making guide for future host countries, aiming to enhance the operational efficiency of upcoming sessions.