BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Many municipalities
around the world continue to face major difficulties in responding
to growing urban challenges, a United Nations official said
Wednesday during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13)
in Baku, Trend
reports.


Alina Matta made the remarks during a training session titled
“Policies, Documents, and Material Resources: Building Capacity for
Crisis Preparedness and Response.”


“Today’s session addresses a question that is becoming
increasingly urgent for cities and local governments worldwide:
what does a municipality need to remain functional, responsive, and
resilient in the face of overlapping crises?” Matta said.


She noted that local governments are often the first
institutions to respond to emergencies, including climate
disasters, infrastructure failures, conflict-driven displacement,
and severe economic shocks.


“However, through the work of UN-Habitat and UNITAC, we continue
to see that many municipalities face significant challenges in
addressing urban crises,” she said.


Matta stressed that strengthening local institutional capacity
is essential for building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable
cities.


“Preparedness is not only about reacting to emergencies after
they occur,” she said. “It is also about developing systems,
partnerships, and knowledge that allow cities to anticipate risks,
maintain essential services, and protect vulnerable
populations.”







In the mean time, today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in
Baku.


The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the
New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women
and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and
Azerbaijani flags also took place.


The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit,
featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis,
urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the
opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a
significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of
events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe
and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence
and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and
sustainable transport.


WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.