Baku Hosts Key Ministerial Meeting On Sustainable Urban Development At WUF13

The“Ministerial Meeting on the New Urban Agenda (NUA) – Opening Session” is being held in Baku as part of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum 13, AzerNEWS reports.

The event focuses on assessing progress made in implementing the United Nations New Urban Agenda for the 2016–2036 period, while also identifying existing gaps and discussing ways to accelerate implementation efforts ahead of 2036.

The ministerial meeting is viewed as an important platform in preparation for the 2026 High-Level Political Forum and the upcoming UN General Assembly review process. Particular emphasis is being placed on housing as a central pillar of sustainable urban development.

Discussions are guided by the three main pillars of the New Urban Agenda: social inclusion and poverty eradication, generating shared prosperity, and environmental sustainability.

Speakers at the forum emphasized that housing should be viewed not only as a fundamental human right, but also as a driver of economic opportunity, urban resilience, and climate action.

The event also features high-level thematic panel discussions examining the role of housing in reducing poverty and strengthening social inclusion, promoting economic empowerment and urban prosperity, and advancing environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient cities.

Ministers and participants are sharing best practices, discussing innovative financing and policy mechanisms, and exchanging views on improving multi-level governance approaches in urban development.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants are expected to formulate new approaches aimed at strengthening political commitments to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, placing housing policy at the center of sustainable urban development strategies, and accelerating global action through 2036.

The outcomes of the discussions will be reflected in a Chair's Summary, which will contribute to the New Urban Agenda mid-term review process, the 2026 High-Level Political Forum discussions, and the“Baku Call to Action” initiative, one of the key outcome documents of WUF13.

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