BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. To ensure sustainable
and large-scale housing provision, existing approaches to
assessment and planning must be revised, Ugochi Florence Daniels,
the Deputy Director General for Operations at the International
Organization for Migration (IOM), said, Trend reports.


Speaking at the event on "Housing at the Centre of Crisis
Recovery and Reconstruction" held as part of WUF13, Florence
Daniels noted that existing approaches are mainly focused on
counting the number of damaged buildings, but this is insufficient,
and it is necessary to take into account people’s actual needs.


“We need to communicate directly with people, determine what
they need to live and what their rights are,” he emphasized.


Daniels further noted that investments in land registries,
housing policy, and financial mechanisms are crucial for a
sustainable housing system.


According to her, forced displacement occurs primarily in urban
settings, placing significant pressure on cities.


“The data shows that one of the key conditions for securing a
livelihood and self-sufficiency is access to sustainable housing,”
he said. The IOM representative emphasized that city municipalities
and local authorities play a key role in this process, and there
are successful examples in various countries, such as Uruguay,
Ukraine, and the Philippines.


She added that migration and urbanization, when properly
managed, create powerful opportunities for sustainable
development.


“When we put housing at the center of recovery and build it
systematically, we not only achieve large-scale results but also
protect rights and ensure a decent life for people,” said W.
Daniels.


According to her, the main problem lies not in the availability
of technical solutions, but in the existence of political will in
this direction.


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.