BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. The fifth day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), organized jointly by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the Azerbaijan government, has begun in Baku, TurkicWorld reports.
Today’s forum program is dedicated to topics such as housing policy, post-crisis urban recovery, financing mechanisms, urbanization, youth participation in urban development, sustainable tourism, and the role of civil society.
The fifth day will include dialogues, roundtables, and special sessions on the following topics: "Housing at the Center of Post-Crisis Recovery and Reconstruction," "A New Approach to Housing Finance," "Academy," "Children and Youth," "Inclusive Urban Sustainability in Small Island Developing States, the Blue Economy, and Sustainable Tourism," "The African Pact on Affordable Housing—Special Session for Investors," "Professionals," "Civil Society," and the closing session.
The sessions will address issues such as expanding access to housing, urban recovery following crises and conflicts, the implementation of sustainable financial instruments, the involvement of youth in decision-making processes, and enhancing cities’ resilience to climate change.
The fourth day of the Cities Forum of the United Nations Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA13) featured an extensive program of events focusing on urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban development, housing policy, and sustainable management. On this day, sessions were organized on the following topics: "Transformation of Informal Settlements and Slums," "The Link Between Climate and Housing," "Voices from the Cities: SPECA Cities Forum," "Azerbaijan’s Housing Experience," "Cities as Playgrounds," "Rethinking Cultural Heritage and Inclusive Urban Regeneration," "Clean Air," "People with Disabilities," "Parliamentarians," "Developing Waste Management for a Circular Economy," and "Developing Urban Climate Heritage."
One of the key events of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the SPECA "Declaration of Intent to Establish a Forum on Climate-Resilient ‘Smart Cities’." This step was hailed as a significant milestone in terms of expanding cooperation on climate-resilient and innovative urban development within the SPECA region.
The first two days of the forum included a ministerial meeting on the New Urban Agenda, a leaders’ summit, gatherings of women and civil society, business sessions, and high-level discussions on urban well-being and the global housing crisis. Concurrently, the opening of the pavilion in Mexico City took place as part of WUF13, and this platform was hailed as an important step in expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for future forums.
WUF13, which has registered more than 40,000 participants from 182 countries, will run until May 22. The forum, dedicated to the theme " "Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities," brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and civil society representatives to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
