BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. The fundamental right
to adequate housing for indigenous populations cannot be evaluated
in isolation from their distinct ancestral lands, unique cultural
heritages, and traditional knowledge bases, Omar Siddique, Head of
the UN-Habitat Office in Canada, said, Trend reports.


The official made the remark during a high-level roundtable
discussion on "Indigenous Peoples," held within the framework of
the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.


According to him, systemic violations of indigenous housing
rights represent far more than individual human rights structural
breaches, operating simultaneously as a severe blow to collective
communal rights, time-honored traditions, distinct lifestyles, and
grassroots community values.


"The core bottlenecks that indigenous peoples face regarding
access to adequate housing are deeply rooted in historical
injustices, colonial legacies, and the systematic dispossession of
their sovereign lands and territories," Siddique emphasized.


The UN-Habitat representative noted that the socio-economic
fallout of these systemic deficiencies remains visible across
multiple geographic regions worldwide.


"Alarmingly high rates of homelessness among indigenous
populations, forced evictions, unlawful land grabs, and poorly
managed resettlement cycles serve as the most glaring indicators of
this crisis. Displacements triggered by climate anomalies,
localized conflicts, industrial development initiatives, or the
outright refusal to legally recognize indigenous land tenure
separate these communities from the environments that sustain their
cultural identity," he stated.


According to Siddique, mitigating these deep-rooted challenges
demands a comprehensive, rights-based approach that positions
indigenous populations directly at the center of the institutional
decision-making pipeline.


"In strict alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adequate housing frameworks must
undergo co-design and preparation with the direct, active
participation of indigenous communities. Structural housing
solutions must map precisely to the unique spatial needs, cultural
expectations, and daily lived experiences of these populations," he
pointed out.


He added that securing universal housing rights requires an
unyielding, inclusive planning paradigm engineered to guarantee
that no individual and no territory undergoes institutional
neglect.


Siddique concurrently noted that the active attendance of
numerous indigenous leaders spanning Latin America, Africa, and
Asia at the Baku roundtable establishes a critical global platform
to cross-examine data, draft policy recommendations, and share
localized best practices.


The UN-Habitat official announced that the strategic outcomes of
these roundtable debates will directly enrich the drafting of the
Baku Call to Action at WUF13, alongside shaping the mid-term review
processes of the New Urban Agenda.


"The preservation of indigenous housing rights stands as a core
pillars of UN-Habitat's global operations. This priority will
maintain sharp institutional focus, anchoring our workflows from
the Baku Call to Action through to the comprehensive review of the
New Urban Agenda and all subsequent international urban
initiatives," Siddique concluded.







Meanwhile, today Baku is hosting the final day of WUF13.


On the first day of the forum, a ministerial meeting on the New
Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, women’s and civil society
assemblies, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being
took place. The forum also featured a flag-raising ceremony for the
UN and Azerbaijan.


The second day of the forum was marked by the first-ever
Leaders’ Summit. On this day, high-level discussions were held on
the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban
sustainability. Also as part of WUF13, the Mexico City pavilion was
inaugurated, presented as a key platform for expanding cooperation
with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.


The third day of WUF13 was also marked by an extensive program
of events. Discussions on this day covered topics such as the
global housing crisis, the creation of safe and inclusive cities,
climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance,
“green” urbanization, social equality, and sustainable
transportation.


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


The fourth day of WUF13 featured an extensive program of events
dedicated to the themes of urbanization, climate change, inclusive
urban development, housing policy, and sustainable management.


On the fifth day of the forum, discussions continued on the
global housing crisis, the creation of safe and inclusive cities,
climate resilience, the use of artificial intelligence in urban
management, “green” urbanization, and social equality.


One of the key events of the Cities Forum of the United Nations
Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), held on
the fourth day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession
to the “Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA
Forum on Smart Cities Resilient to Climate Change.”


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


The WUF13 Forum, dedicated to the theme “Housing the world: Safe
and resilient cities and communities", brought together
governments, international organizations, experts, and civil
society representatives to strengthen global cooperation in the
field of sustainable urban development. More than 40,000 people
from 182 countries registered to participate in the forum.