BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. Permanent
multi-stakeholder mechanisms must be established to monitor forced
evictions, according to the Baku Call to Action, the official final
document of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in
Baku, Trend
reports.
The document notes that forced evictions and population
displacements constitute gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights, undermine housing security, destroy
livelihoods, exacerbate the climate crisis, shatter human dignity,
and weaken social systems, often occurring without adequate
safeguards or alternatives.
"We call for stronger protections against forced evictions and
displacement, including legal safeguards, monitoring mechanisms and
preventive approaches that ensure security of tenure, while
prioritizing in-situ upgrading, communityled approaches, and
adequate compensation and alternatives wherever relocation cannot
be avoided. Parliamentary committees, government departments, human
rights institutions and international organizations supported by
United Nations (UN) agencies must strengthen accountability and
establish permanent multi-stakeholder mechanisms to monitor, map
and address global patterns of forced evictions and displacement,"
the document reads.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) was held
in Baku from May 17 to May 22.
Convened by UN-Habitat and co-organized with the Government of
the Republic of Azerbaijan, WUF13 was held under the theme “Housing
the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities”.
The Forum hosted 579 sessions throughout the week, while the
Urban Expo brought together 260 exhibitors, innovators and solution
providers. WUF13 featured 11 heads of state, 9 high-level guests,
88 ministers and 76 deputy ministers, and 130 mayors, alongside
representatives of international organizations, financial
institutions, academia, civil society and grassroots
organizations.
