UN-Habitat Highlights“Baku Call To Action” As Key Outcome Of WUF13

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. The“Baku Call to Action” document is the highlight of WUF13, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (Habitat), Anacláudia Rossbach said, at an official press conference marking the closing of WUF13 in Baku, Trend reports.

The discussions held in Baku made it clear that housing must be at the center of comprehensive urban policies related to land, infrastructure, climate action, financing, and governance.

“The key priorities that came to the fore this week:

- Recognizing the scale of the housing crisis and the fact that billions of people still lack adequate housing, shifting from fragmented approaches to broader, systemic solutions;
- Rebalancing housing systems and financing;
- Integrating successful practices, such as the upgrading of informal settlements, climate-resilient housing, and community-led approaches, into mainstream policy decisions and investments;
- Strengthening local action and partnerships, and reinforcing the central role of cities, communities, and local authorities in scaling up solutions in collaboration with national and international partners;
- Promoting climate-resilient and inclusive urban transformation, ensuring that housing systems serve both to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while protecting the most vulnerable populations and preventing social exclusion.

The Baku Call to Action will serve as a key guide for advancing these priorities within global processes and platforms. We will incorporate the outcomes of this work into UN-Habitat's intergovernmental activities, including ongoing discussions on adequate housing, urban sustainability, and the sustainable development framework.

These results will also shape our engagement in global processes related to climate and development and ensure that the role of housing and cities is upheld in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the New Urban Agenda,” she said.

Meanwhile, today Baku is hosting the final day of WUF13.

On the first day of the forum, a ministerial meeting on the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, women's and civil society assemblies, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being took place. The forum also featured a flag-raising ceremony for the UN and Azerbaijan.

The second day of the forum was marked by the first-ever Leaders' Summit. On this day, high-level discussions were held on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban sustainability. Also, as part of WUF13, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated, presented as a key platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.

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