AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL URBAN FORUM

The Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan has prioritized sustainable urban development as an enabler for national prosperity. In the context of the ongoing urban reconstruction and recovery efforts in the newly liberated areas in the economic regions of Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, the government has embraced a green and carbon-neutral approach towards more inclusive, resilient, smart and sustainable urbanization. Azerbaijan National Urban Forum (NUFA) will be organized within the scope of the 2022 Urban October Celebrations; the 2022 Urban October opens with World Habitat Day (WHD) on 3 October. Building on the WHD2021 theme of “accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world”, the WHD2022 will look at the problem of growing inequality and challenges in cities and human settlements. Recognizing that cities account for 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions with transport, buildings, energy, and waste management accounting for the bulk of urban greenhouse gas emissions, the NUFA will focus on leaving no one and no place behind in the Republic of Azerbaijan while embracing a resilient urban reconstruction and recovery approach. Moreover, it will amplify “The Global Race to Zero Campaign” and encourage local governments to develop actionable zero-carbon plans in the follow up to the international climate change summit COP26 in November 2021 and in preparation of COP27 explore the progress made in the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to the crucial issue of climate finance. The NUFA will explore the contribution of the national, regional and local governments and organizations, communities, academic institutions, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders in working together to create sustainable, carbon-neutral, inclusive cities and towns in the Republic of Azerbaijan, focusing on the urban recovery efforts the country is currently undergoing

The 1st Azerbaijan National Urban Forum (NUFA) will be held from 5 to 6 October 2022. It is the first non-legislative event convened by the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, bringing together a wide range of urban stakeholders and participants in the City of Ağdam and Baku to discuss emerging key urban challenges in the Republic of Azerbaijan and show-case international experiences in the related field. Given importance of the post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation, including the post-conflict recovery, 1st Azerbaijan National Urban Forum will be focusing on harnessing potential of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda in rebuilding livelihoods and returning life to the territories affected by natural and man-made emergencies. We are confident that NUFA will present a unique opportunity for international and multi-stakeholder cooperation for urban recovery and offer the platform for exchanging knowledge and experience while identifying obstacles and discussing solutions for urban crisis. We also hope it will enable Azerbaijan to share its experience in applying the most advanced and innovative urban development solutions for urban recovery.

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Declared action

Aim

The main goal of the Forum is to exchange best practices and lessons learned in order to advance sustainable development and urban recovery while offering a unique opportunity for showcasing Azerbaijan model of urban crisis response as well as networking with practitioners and policymakers facing similar challenges worldwide.

Task

Exchange of ideas, theoretical and practical knowledge on the urban recovery efforts.

Expected outcome

International and multi-stakeholder cooperation for urban recovery as well as to establish mechanisms for future partnership and extended cooperation among donors and development actors in achieving the SDGs.

Anar Guliyev

Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan

He started his career as a specialist at the State Committee on Property of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1999 and served as a Specialist and Senior Specialist at the Ministry of the State Property of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2000-2001. Held the positions of the Chief Specialist and Senior Consultant at the Ministry of Economic Development of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2001-2005. Directed investment promotion activity of the Azerbaijan Investment and Export Promotion Foundation in 2005-2009.

Served as Deputy Chief of Department in 2009-2016 and later as Chief of Department at the "Icherisheher" State Historical-Architectural Reserve under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Held the post of Advisor to the Director and Chief of Staff at the State Housing Development Agency under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2016-2018.

In 2018-2019, has worked as Chief of Staff of the State Committee of Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

By the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan of 19 June 2019, Anar Adil oglu Guliyev was appointed First Deputy-Chairman of the State Committee of Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Marcelina Zielinska

Director of Chapman Taylor, UK

Marcelina has extensive experience of all design stages on a diverse range of projects of various scales, from individual buildings to large urban masterplans.

She has a particular passion for high street regeneration, with a talent for anticipating future trends in retail and leisure and the impact they will have on town centres. Her current projects include heritage-sensitive masterplans for historic city centres.

As an architect and urban designer, Marcelina understands the importance of placemaking and of combining uses to create socially, commercially and environmentally sustainable communities, both in the UK and internationally.

Marcelina has been with Chapman Taylor since March 2007, when she joined the company to help deliver St. David’s 2 in Cardiff.

Adrian Griffiths

Group Board Director of Chapman Taylor, UK

Adrian joined Chapman Taylor in 1986 and was promoted to the Group Board in 1998. As an architect and urban design specialist, he is recognised internationally for his expertise in the masterplanning of major complex mixed-use developments which are key drivers in the regeneration of our town and city centres.

Adrian is conscious of the fact that the developments we build today create the societies of tomorrow, recognising the responsibility the profession has in influencing the quality of people’s lives. He regularly speaks at conferences and prepares papers which promote the benefits of mixed-use developments as a sustainable model for the long term. Adrian leads the Concept Design Team in the UK.

Dunja Kovari-Binggeli

Founding Partner of sa_partners, Switzerland

Founding Partner. Dipl. Ing. TU Berlin. Prize winner of prestigious Erwin-Stephan-Prize. Leader of national and interna¬tional projects and research programmes on interdisciplinary collaboration and urban innovation. Author of the internatio¬nally released publication „12 rules towards a good urban climate “. Climate envoy to the government of the City of Zurich.

Pietro Laureano

Director and coordinator of Ipogea, Italy

Pietro Laureano, an architect and urbanist, is UNESCO consultant for arid areas, Islamic civilization and endangered ecosystems.

He has lived for eight years in the Sahara working for study and restoration of oases in Algeria. With numerous essays and books published since the late 1980s, he demonstrated how oases are the result of human ingenuity, patrimony of techniques and knowledge to combat aridity and sustainable management model for the entire planet. He coordinates and manages projects based on the recovery of ancient techniques of water collection systems with various international organizations throughout the Mediterranean, Yemen, Mauritania and Ethiopia.

He promoted the recovery of the troglodyte town of the Sassi of Matera in the south of Italy, which had been completely abandoned in the 1960s, and is the author of the reports that led to the inclusion of the Sassi of Matera and the Cilento Park in the list Of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reality in relation to the recovery of urban ecosystems and the preservation of the landscape.

He is founder and coordinator of IPOGEA Center for Traditional Knowledge, a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Matera and Florence, which designs landscape conservation projects with ancient practices such as the use of dry-stone terraces, water capture tanks and drainage galleries.

He is part of the UNESCO expert group who is working on the drafting of the new Landscape Convention. As an Italian representative in the United Nations Convention against Desertification (UNCCD) Technical and Scientific Committee and as Chairman of the Panel for Traditional Knowledge, he promoted the creation of a World Bank on Traditional Knowledge and their Use Innovative (www.tkwb.org). This initiative is being pursued together with UNESCO through the creation of the International Institute of Traditional Knowledge (ITKI), based in Florence, which will play a decisive role in the new Landscape Convention.

- Main publications:

– 2001, P. Laureano, Water atlas, traditional knowledge for the fight against desertification, Bollati Boringhieri, Turin

– 1995, P. Laureano, The Reversed Pyramid, the oasis model for the planet Earth, Bollati Boringhieri, Turin.

– 1993, P. Laureano, Giardini di Pietra, the Sassi of Matera and the Mediterranean civilization, Bollati Boringhieri, Turin, 2nd edition 1997

– 1988, P. Laureano, Sahara, unknown garden, preface by Joseph Rykwert, Giunti, Florence, December edition, 2nd edition July 1989. Re-edition in French with the introduction of UNESCO World Heritage Director. Sahara jardin méconnu, Larousse, Paris, 1991

Anna Soave

Human Settlements Officer, Iraq Program, UN-Habitat

Ms. Anna Soave, urban development practitioner with more than 20 years of international experience in urban planning and the development of rehabilitation strategies, particularly in post-conflict contexts, low-income informal settlements and dilapidated historic neighborhoods.

With a passion for urban explorations, mapping and learning how cities change over time, Anna is currently leading for UN-Habitat an interdisciplinary team implementing a set of area-based urban recovery plans and projects in Iraq.

Georg Redlhammer

Georg Redlhammer (1966) is a well experienced TV and radio journalist (ORF, CNN) as well as Marketing Executive in international automotive industry (Audi, Volvo). Georg graduated at Johannes Kepler University Linz/ Austria, in economics (Marketing and Finance). His premium network covers different industries and countries. The author published his first book 2020.

He is advisor of Emin Agalarov and works as a consultant on international projects in different areas as automotive, retail, entertainment always with focus on SDG´s. With the technology festival MOBILISTIC´18 he invented for Crocus Group the first exhibition on electro mobility in Russia, with Hollywood action hero STEVEN SEAGAL as ambassador.

Vladanka Andreeva

The UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan

Vladanka Andreeva brings 21 years of experience in international development, humanitarian coordination, advocacy, and partnership building, which she has acquired within the United Nations and externally through multiple assignments across Europe and Asia. In July 2021, Ms Andreeva was appointed as UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

At the United Nations, she most recently held the position of Country Director for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Cambodia and led the United Nations Country Team Task Force for COVID-19 preparedness and response. Before that she led efforts, as Strategic Intervention Adviser for the UNAIDS Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, to strengthen implementation of evidence-informed, human rights-based and gender-sensitive country programmes. She served as Monitoring and Evaluation Team Lead for UNAIDS Viet Nam prior to that. Ms. Andreeva also worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as Policy Advisor for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States and was Advisor to the United Nations Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia. She took this position after serving with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also in North Macedonia.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. Andreeva worked with the non-profit organization Pharmaciens Sans Frontières and coordinated humanitarian relief for refugees.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in dental medicine and a master’s degree in public health, from the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, North Macedonia.

Speakers