BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Promoting
multi-stakeholder dialogue is essential to ensure stability, shared
prosperity, and long-term solutions for Cape Verde municipalities,
President of the National Association of Municipalities of Cape
Verde Fabio Vieira said at an event titled "Beyond External Finance
- Can Cities Scale Their Own Revenues While Delivering Housing
Solutions" within the framework of WUF13 in Baku, Trend reports.


"At a time when we are witnessing growing turbulence in global
geopolitics, marked by conflicts, strategic rivalries, and
fragmentation that threatens traditional mechanisms of cooperation,
the need for stronger and more responsible international
cooperation becomes even more evident," he said.


Vieira noted that countries, especially the most vulnerable, are
failing to address challenges that are inherently global: from
climate change to energy security, from human mobility to
development financing.


According to him, strengthening alliances, deepening
partnerships, and promoting multi-stakeholder dialogue are not just
desirable; they are essential to ensuring stability, shared
prosperity, and long-term solutions for our municipalities.


"Municipalities around the world, and especially African
municipalities, face the dual challenge of financing their
development and providing decent housing for rapidly growing
populations. Relying solely on external funding is no longer
sufficient. We must strengthen local autonomy, diversify revenue
sources, and create innovative mechanisms that enable
municipalities to invest sustainably," he added.


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 Programme 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.