A session of the World Cities Forum has opened in Baku

Nargis Shekinskaya

May 17, 2026 Economic development

Ministers, mayors, representatives of international organizations, experts, and urbanists gathered for a Ministerial meeting in the capital of Azerbaijan to discuss how to make cities safer and more sustainable, and housing affordable. These tasks are embedded inNew urban agenda, adopted ten years ago at the conference in Quito, Ecuador, and defining the principles of urban development.

Opening the Ministerial Meeting, the Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Anaclaudia Rossbach, stated that 2026 should be not just a moment of summing up, but a “year of course correction.” According to her, it is necessary to determine which measures have proven effective and which should be reconsidered.

Over the past ten years, many countries, he noted, have achieved significant progress. Around 160 states have already adopted or are developing national urban strategies, and more than two-thirds of the countries have implemented housing affordability programs.

However, as emphasized by the head of UN-Habitat, these efforts are still insufficient. “The housing situation clearly demonstrates this to us,” he said. “Today, more than 1.1 billion people live in slums or informal settlements.”

According to UN data, in just the last decade more than 120 million people have either been born in slums and informal settlements or moved there.

Fight against poverty

Discussions were held on three key directions. The first session was dedicated to housing as a tool for social integration and poverty alleviation. Participants spoke about the necessity of expanding social housing programs, modernizing informal settlements, and protecting the most vulnerable population groups.

Special attention on the forum was devoted to countries that have experienced war and destruction. Bashar al-Sebaai, mayor of the Syrian city of Homs, which has been severely affected over the years of the prolonged armed conflict in Syria, told the UN News Service about the difficulties Homs is facing today.

“After the war, 400 thousand residents returned to the city. They returned to the war-damaged neighborhoods,” he said. “A lot of problems need to be overcome, related to cleaning and waste disposal, restoring infrastructure, and supplying electricity.”

According to the mayor, the city today needs not only new ideas, but also funding to establish a normal life.

Engine of economic growth

The second discussion concerned housing as a driver of economic growth. It was noted that the housing sector can contribute to job creation, increased productivity, and expanded opportunities for women and youth.

Special attention was paid to the indivisibility of integrated support. “We are talking about land. We are talking about infrastructure. We are talking about financing, management, climate action, and human rights,” said the head of UN-Habitat.

Climate Change

The third session of the meeting was devoted to the connection between housing and climate. The UN reminds us that the construction sector remains one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and millions of people living in unsafe homes are the first to suffer from floods, heat, and other climate disasters.

Ministers discussed the transition to low-carbon construction, sustainable urban planning, and slum modernization taking climate risks into account. According to Rossbalt, today more than 80 percent of the world’s cities have become noticeably warmer compared to the situation twenty years ago.

The first day of the forum was marked by a prolonged downpour in Baku, and the city authorities had to take urgent measures to drain the water from the roads. Local residents say that similar natural phenomena were a rarity for Azerbaijan just a few years ago, especially at this time of year.

The Baku meeting of ministers is intended to prepare the groundwork for the July session of the UN General Assembly, during which an official review of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda will be conducted.

Other events of the first day of WUF13

Within the framework of the forum in Baku, assemblies have begun, in which representatives of governments, the private sector, international organizations, and civil society participate. The assemblies are divided by topics, which include issues concerning the status of women and youth, the role of civil society organizations, and the activities of private companies.

One of the delegates of the assembly, an architect from New York and founder of the organization “Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization,” Lance Brown shared his opinion on the scale of the crisis with the UN News Service. According to him, the housing crisis stopped being a problem only for poor countries a long time ago. “The housing problem resembles a train without brakes; it has practically gotten out of control,” he emphasized. “Taking control of the situation is not yet possible.”

Braun noted that if the planet’s population has almost quadrupled during his lifetime, while housing availability for the less well-off continues to worsen.

“We are not only talking about a roof over our heads,” he said. “The discussion concerns issues of education, transport, healthcare.” In his opinion, the situation in the United States remains particularly indicative.

“Hundreds of thousands of homeless people live on the streets of American cities, yet we consider ourselves a wealthy country,” he noted. “The situation with homelessness in New York looks like a crisis.” He expressed hope that the decisions adopted in Baku would help overcome the global housing crisis.

The head of the UN-Habitat urged the forum participants to make efforts towards this.

“Take advantage of the opportunity to create long-term partnerships. Share your experience. Bring together issues of financing, government policy, and project implementation,” Rossbalt urged, opening the series of assemblies.