UN Sustainable Development: Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev told the UN High-Level Political Forum that the Great Return Program is building smart, green cities and villages in liberated areas, while phased returns of former IDPs continue and humanitarian demining remains essential for sustainable development. Credit & resilience: Moody’s reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s Baa3 rating, citing SOFAZ assets and fiscal resilience, while flagging oil-and-gas dependence and geopolitical risks as key constraints. Caspian ecology: A new report highlights how the shrinking Caspian Sea is worsening ecological stress, affecting wildlife and navigation reliability for Azerbaijan-linked routes. Urban planning in liberated areas: Officials say Azerbaijan is applying New Urban Agenda principles in Karabakh and East Zangazur, with master plans for most cities and tens of thousands of residents already living and working there. Mine action progress: ANAMA reports 287,385 hectares cleared, with hundreds of thousands of mines and unexploded ordnance detected and neutralized. Climate diplomacy: Türkiye’s COP31 president Murat Kurum urged D-8 members—including Azerbaijan—to push implementation-focused climate action ahead of COP31. Digital environment governance: Azerbaijan adopted amendments to tighten social media rules for under-16 users and expand grounds for temporary internet blocking tied to public safety and privacy.