BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. The fifth day of the
13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), organized jointly by
the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the
Azerbaijan government, has begun in Baku, Trend reports.


Today’s forum program is dedicated to topics such as housing
policy, post-crisis urban recovery, financing mechanisms,
urbanization, youth participation in urban development, sustainable
tourism, and the role of civil society.


The fifth day will include dialogues, roundtables, and special
sessions on the following topics: “Housing at the Center of
Post-Crisis Recovery and Reconstruction,” “A New Approach to
Housing Finance,” “Academy,” “Children and Youth,” “Inclusive Urban
Sustainability in Small Island Developing States, the Blue Economy,
and Sustainable Tourism,” “The African Pact on Affordable
Housing—Special Session for Investors,” “Professionals,” “Civil
Society,” and the closing session.

The sessions will address issues such as expanding access to
housing, urban recovery following crises and conflicts, the
implementation of sustainable financial instruments, the
involvement of youth in decision-making processes, and enhancing
cities’ resilience to climate change.


The fourth day of the Cities Forum of the United Nations Special
Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA13) featured an
extensive program of events focusing on urbanization, climate
change, inclusive urban development, housing policy, and
sustainable management. On this day, sessions were organized on the
following topics: “Transformation of Informal Settlements and
Slums,” “The Link Between Climate and Housing,” “Voices from the
Cities: SPECA Cities Forum,” “Azerbaijan’s Housing Experience,”
“Cities as Playgrounds,” “Rethinking Cultural Heritage and
Inclusive Urban Regeneration,” “Clean Air,” “People with
Disabilities,” “Parliamentarians,” “Developing Waste Management for
a Circular Economy,” and “Developing Urban Climate Heritage.”







One of the key events of the UN Special Program for the
Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth
day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the
SPECA “Declaration of Intent to Establish a Forum on
Climate-Resilient ‘Smart Cities’.” This step was hailed as a
significant milestone in terms of expanding cooperation on
climate-resilient and innovative urban development within the SPECA
region.


The first two days of the forum included a ministerial meeting
on the New Urban Agenda, a leaders’ summit, gatherings of women and
civil society, business sessions, and high-level discussions on
urban well-being and the global housing crisis. Concurrently, the
opening of the pavilion in Mexico City took place as part of WUF13,
and this platform was hailed as an important step in expanding
cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for future
forums.


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