BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 17. The global housing
crisis is fundamentally intertwined with systemic struggles for
social equity, anti-racism, and gender equality, Manuel
Montenegro, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
Federative Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Azerbaijan, said
during a ministerial roundtable held within the framework of the
13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Trend reports.
The diplomat began by expressing his gratitude to the host
nation: "I would like to thank the government and people of
Azerbaijan for their tremendous hospitality. This marks the second
major and globally significant forum that Azerbaijan has
successfully hosted in recent times."
Ambassador Montenegro emphasized that securing decent housing
forms the absolute bedrock of sustainable and resilient
development, though deep structural inequities persist.
"Brazil continues to face numerous municipal challenges that
disproportionately impact low-income demographics, particularly
female-headed households. This reality serves as a stark reminder
that the housing issue is just as critical as social equity, the
fight against racial discrimination, and gender equality," he
stated.
Reflecting on Brazil's specific urban landscape and governance
reforms, the ambassador noted:
"While approximately 87% of Brazil's population resides in
urban areas, the country has actively worked in recent years to
restore vital social participation mechanisms within our urban
ministries. Within this framework, public administration has been
significantly reinforced, directly increasing the public's role in
policy formulation, execution, and evaluation."
Montenegro underscored that structural urban transformation
cannot achieve long-term sustainability without deep, collaborative
frameworks, making the continuous strengthening of institutional
and public coordination absolutely vital.
