BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Housing policy must
rely on a long-term strategic approach and maintain absolute
institutional continuity regardless of changes in government
administration, Tamara Paceyro, Minister of Housing and Territorial
Planning of Uruguay, said, Trend reports.


She made the remarks during a session titled "A New Deal for
Housing Finance" held within the framework of the 13th session of
the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.


According to her, constant fluctuations in real estate and
zoning regulations actively hinder the efficiency of the sector.
"We cannot alter the rules of the game every five years, because
doing so fundamentally destabilizes the system and prevents it from
functioning in the structural manner we all desire," the minister
pointed out.


The official emphasized that national housing frameworks require
classification as sovereign state strategies that exist beyond
short-term political cycles. "Establishing a unified state housing
policy remains of paramount importance. We must secure broad
legislative and social pacts that remain fully operational
irrespective of changing political administrations to guarantee the
baseline continuity and resilience of our housing initiatives,"
Paceyro Marin noted.


The minister concurrently directed attention toward the pressing
necessity of deploying innovations across the housing ecosystem.
According to her, structural upgrades are urgently required within
construction technologies, financial underwriting mechanisms, and
public administrative workflows. "We cannot continue operating
along the exact same methodologies used 20 or 30 years ago, because
the global landscape has evolved, and the socio-economic needs and
realities of families have shifted. The state and its public
policies must rapidly adapt to these modern parameters," she
stated.


In conclusion, Paceyro extended her appreciation to the forum
organizers for the platform to present Uruguay's domestic models
and expressed readiness to deepen multilateral cooperation
regarding housing finance architecture and urban planning
tracks.


Today marks the fifth 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.


One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a
sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and
the Turkish city of Trabzon.


The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events
dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban
development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.


One of the important 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
“Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart
Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”


Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s
initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and
Decision-Making” was held.


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.