UN-Habitat briefs Asia-Pacific media ahead of the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku
The session, moderated by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), forms part of a global series of media engagements designed to strengthen media awareness of WUF13 and presenting its relevance to regional urban priorities. Representatives from UN-Habitat and the host country, Azerbaijan, outlined key programme elements and opportunities for media engagement in the lead-up to WUF13.
In a recorded message, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach emphasized the urgency of placing housing at the centre of global urban discussions. “WUF13 will place housing at the centre of global discussions – not only as a basic human right, but as a foundation for inclusion and climate- and crisis-responsive development,” she noted.
Representing the host country, Gulshan Rzayeva, Deputy Chief of Staff of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and WUF13 Deputy National Coordinator, outlined Azerbaijan’s commitment to placing safe and resilient housing at the highest political level. She noted that by launching the Leaders’ Summit at WUF13 for the first time, housing and urban development are being elevated to the highest level of global leadership. Emphasizing the Forum’s action-oriented approach, she added that WUF13 “will not be a forum of declarations, but a forum of delivery, partnerships and action on housing and urban resilience.”
Asia-Pacific: where rapid urban growth meets rising risk
The Asia-Pacific region is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing urban areas, with 2.5 billion urban residents – nearly half of the global urban population. This number is projected to rise to 3.4 billion by 2050. Nine of the world’s ten largest megacities are located in the region, underscoring its central role in shaping the global urban future. While its cities are hubs of innovation and resilience, they also face mounting pressures linked to housing affordability, informality and environmental vulnerability.
During the briefing, Kazuko Ishigaki, UN-Habitat Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, emphasized that “urbanization is one of the defining forces shaping the Asia-Pacific region and its future”. She highlighted that WUF13 provides a critical platform to share knowledge and scale solutions, noting that “strong presence from the region will ensure that these experiences are shared collectively to advance a sustainable urban future.”
Transforming regional dialogue into global action
Taking place at the midpoint of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, WUF13 will serve as a global checkpoint for reviewing progress on SDG 11 and strengthening commitments to sustainable urbanization. The Forum will feature a high-level segment and a ministerial meeting on the New Urban Agenda, alongside more than 300 events including dialogues, assemblies, partner-led events and the Urban Expo.
With housing at the centre of the WUF13 agenda, the high-level dialogues will explore the global housing crisis, transformation of informal settlements and slums, crisis recovery and reconstruction, climate-housing linkages, the social and economic power of housing, and housing finance.
The Forum will conclude with the Baku Call to Action, an outcome document aimed accelerating global progress on adequate housing and sustainable urban development.