Azerbaijan Restores Sites Amid Ongoing Threats

Farid Jafarov, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Culture, spoke at WUF13 in Baku about threats to historical sites globally. He stated preserving cultural heritage is vital for future generations and a responsibility for nations. Azerbaijan is currently enacting large-scale restoration programs in liberated territories, rebuilding both monuments and infrastructure under President Ilham Aliyev’s direction.

The World Urban Forum, WUF13, began May 18 and features discussions on housing, resilience, and urban governance. Events included a ministerial meeting, the Leaders’ Summit, and the signing of a sister-city agreement between Shusha, Azerbaijan, and Trabzon, Turkey. Over 40,000 people from 182 countries are registered for the forum.

Jafarov did not specify which sites remain threatened or the nature of those threats. Reconstruction in the liberated areas is ongoing, but the long-term sustainability of these efforts remains to be seen. WUF13 will conclude May 22, continuing conversations around global urban development.