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Ulviyya Poladova

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Forum in Baku demonstrated the urgent global need for collective action on housing, climate resilience, and sustainable urban development, Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the UN-Habitat, emphasized at the official closing press conference of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, AzerNEWS reports.

Rossbach described WUF13 as a truly global platform that brought together governments, experts, mayors, innovators, and civil society representatives to discuss the future of cities.

According to her, the forum gathered more than 57,000 participants, including over 3,000 people connected online from 176 countries. The Urban Expo alone registered more than 74,000 visits.

She noted that women and girls represented 55 percent of participants. The forum also welcomed 11 heads of state, 88 ministers, 76 deputy ministers, 130 mayors, and hosted a total of 579 sessions.

In addition, 260 exhibitors, innovators, and solution providers participated in the Urban Expo, while 865 media representatives covered the event throughout the week.

She stressed that the theme of WUF13 came at a critical moment, as the global housing crisis continues to intensify.

"The global housing crisis has reached an unprecedented scale," Rossbach warned.
According to UN official, housing can no longer be treated as a separate sectoral issue, but rather as a systemic challenge directly linked to inequality, resilience, economic opportunity, stability, and peace.

Among the key priorities identified during WUF13 were addressing the scale of the global housing crisis, reforming housing finance systems, strengthening implementation mechanisms, scaling climate-resilient housing solutions, supporting community-led approaches, and empowering local governments and partnerships.

She also added the importance of ensuring that urban transformation remains climate-resilient, inclusive, and focused on protecting vulnerable populations.

Looking ahead to WUF14, Rossbach said the momentum created in Baku should help strengthen global cooperation on urban transformation.