On 18 March, a presentation was held in Baku on the AZS ISO 20121:2026 “Event sustainability management systems” state standard, aimed at promoting the application of modern environmental and management approaches in the organization of events.

The event was attended by Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and National Coordinator of WUF13; Elnur Baghirov, Chairman of the State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Adil Mammadov, Executive Director of the WUF13 Azerbaijan Operations Company; as well as representatives of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Standardization Institute (AZSTAND) and other relevant institutions.

Delivering the opening remarks, Anar Guliyev noted that in recent years Azerbaijan has been actively hosting major international events, and under these circumstances, the application of international sustainability standards in their planning and organization is of particular importance. In this regard, the implementation of the AZS ISO 20121 standard is especially relevant in the run-up to the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), to be held in Baku in May 2026. One of the key requirements of the Forum is the application of sustainability principles in the organization of events.

“International experience demonstrates that events organized in accordance with sustainable development principles can significantly reduce their environmental impact. In such cases, carbon emissions can be reduced by approximately 42%, the overall volume of waste by 44%, paper waste by up to 90%, and energy consumption by 60–70%,” Anar Guliyev emphasized.

Elnur Baghirov, Chairman of the State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, spoke about the work carried out in recent years to improve the standardization system, which forms a fundamental component of the country’s quality infrastructure. He particularly highlighted the importance of standards in applying relevant principles to the organization of international events.

Adil Mammadov, Executive Director of the WUF13 Azerbaijan Operations Company, stated that the document had been prepared by the WUF13 Azerbaijan Operations Company as part of preparations for the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), based on the international ISO 20121:2024 “Event sustainability management systems” standard, and adapted to Azerbaijan’s national standardization system for the first time.

He noted that the adoption and implementation of this standard would contribute to the organization of future large-scale global events to be held in Azerbaijan and help establish a unified approach in the work of local professionals.

It was noted that the AZS ISO 20121 standard provides a framework for the systematic application of sustainable event management principles in Azerbaijan. It will also strengthen the country’s capacity to organize major international events and further reaffirm its commitment to the principles of sustainable development.