The calls voiced at the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku should become one of the main directions of the global urban development agenda, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach said at the closing ceremony of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku.

Axar.az reports, citing APА, according to her, government representatives, 88 ministers, 130 mayors, representatives of local and regional governance bodies, civil society organizations, private sector leaders, and communities united around one main idea during the forum: housing policy must stand at the center of people’s well-being.

Rossbach stated that housing is one of the key tools for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 11, which envisages the creation of inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.

The head of UN-Habitat noted that at the midway stage of implementing the New Urban Agenda, the message delivered from Baku is clear: the next decade should be characterized by accelerated implementation, larger-scale results, and measurable changes in people’s lives.

She emphasized that this requires housing to once again be recognized as a state responsibility, the strengthening of cities and communities, the cessation of forced displacement, the transformation of housing finance, and decision-making based on reliable data.

Rossbach added that during the UN High-Level Political Forum to be held in July and the review process of the New Urban Agenda, housing issues should remain in focus as one of the main factors accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN-Habitat chief called on forum participants to carry the calls made in Baku to their countries and cities.

“The world must hear this call voiced from Baku,” Rossbach stressed.

She noted that the knowledge, experience, creative ideas, and solutions gathered within the framework of WUF13 should contribute to shaping the cities of the future. Rossbach also thanked the Azerbaijani government and partner institutions for their contribution to organizing the forum.