Published on: 2026-05-20
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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At the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), held in Baku, the start of a new regional cooperation platform was officially announced – the SPECA Cities Forum, created with the support of the UN. The project initiators hope that it will be precisely the cities that can become the main drivers of change in the region – from infrastructure modernization to combating air pollution and climate risks.
The forum has become one of the new regional projects presented at WUF13 – the largest UN international platform dedicated to sustainable urban development and housing issues.
SPECA is a special UN program for the economy of Central Asia, launched in 1998 to strengthen regional cooperation, develop trade, and integrate the countries of the region into the world economy. It includes Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Dmitry Maryasin called the launch of the forum a “new track of cooperation” for the SPECA region.
“Cities have recently been gaining increasing importance as drivers of progress. It is precisely there that problems concentrate, and it is precisely there that solutions, including innovative ones, are often concentrated,” he said in an interview with the UN News Service at the forum venue.
According to Maryasin, governments are not always ready to quickly reach agreements at the interstate level, whereas cities are able to act faster and implement practical solutions.
The SPEKA Cities Forum was first initiated during the COP29 climate conference in Baku in 2024. Its founders were six cities of the region – Almaty, Arkadag, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Ganja, and Samarkand. Now the platform has officially started its work in full format.
The region is experiencing rapid urbanization. According to UN estimates, over the past decade, the population of cities in Central and Western Asia has grown by approximately 35-45 percent. This increases the burden on transportation, housing, water supply systems, and energy.
Against this background, cities in the region are increasingly seeking new approaches to development. The focus is on affordable housing, resilience to climate change, energy efficiency, and modernization of infrastructure.
Maryasin emphasized that the concept of a “smart city” is far from always being exclusively associated with digital technologies.
“The word ‘smart’ does not always mean the implementation of digital technologies or even innovations. Sometimes it is about qualitative planning, about identifying priorities, about understanding how various elements of infrastructure are connected to each other,” he noted.
At the same time, technologies, including artificial intelligence and modern monitoring systems, are already helping cities solve practical problems. For example, this refers to managing traffic flows to reduce congestion, more efficient operation of water supply systems, and quality control of air.
Air pollution remains one of the most acute problems for many regional cities. Dust storms, smog, and transport emissions are becoming increasingly serious challenges against the backdrop of population growth and city expansion.
According to the representative of the UNECE, interesting initiatives are already appearing throughout the SPECA region. Among the examples discussed at the forum are projects in Ganja, Almaty, and Arkadag, built in Turkmenistan as a new “smart city.”
However, a large-scale transformation of the urban environment, according to him, is still only underway.
“Such problems as quality and aging of infrastructure must be addressed at an accelerated pace. Smart investments are needed here,” emphasized Maryasin.
He noted that cities actively learn from each other, adapting successful solutions to local conditions. Thus, what works effectively in one country cannot always be directly transferred to another.
As examples of successful transformations, he cited city greening projects, the conversion of large highways into public spaces, as well as the development of so-called “active mobility,” where priority is given to pedestrians and cyclists rather than cars.
Among the well-known global examples, Copenhagen is often mentioned. However, according to Maryasin, the SPECA region already has its own successful practices. He separately noted Baku’s experience in creating protected bicycle lanes and expanding green zones.
The new SCOPE Cities Forum is expected to become a permanent platform for exchanging experience between regional cities and interacting with the global processes of the UN – from the World Cities Forum to climate negotiations.
An important role in this process can also be played by the SPECA Fund, which has already started its work. According to Maryasin, the fund received financing and announced the first acceptance of applications from accredited UN agencies.
One of the key directions of financing, it is expected, will be “smart” and sustainable city projects.
UN-Habitat also intends to develop cooperation with UN-Habitat, a UN agency dealing with issues of sustainable urban development and housing.
Another platform for cooperation remains the UNECE Mayors’ Forum, which has been held for five years. This year, its main topic will be sustainable infrastructure and the future of cities.
“We are very proud of this format and hope that it will continue to develop,” said Maryasin.
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