Baku to host discussions on housing crisis and climate risks during WUF13

Global leaders in housing, finance and urban policy will gather at the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) to confront the world"s deepening housing crisis and accelerating climate risks facing cities, Olaylar informs, citing the UN-Habitat.

Convened by UN-Habitat under the theme "Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities" and hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan, the Forum will bring together a high-level lineup of speakers from governments, international organizations and academia to advance solutions for more inclusive and resilient urban futures. The Forum will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026.

The Forum will feature senior United Nations leaders helping shape global discussions on housing, climate resilience, migration and sustainable urban development, including: Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, Andrea Meza Murillo, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, together with UN-Habitat leadership, these voices will help frame global discussions on housing systems, urban inequality, climate resilience and financing gaps.

The sessions are expected to feature speeches by Jeffrey Sachs, President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Professor at Columbia University, Ming Zhang, World Bank Global Director for Urban Development, Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and other international experts.

The dialogue will explore the structural driving forces of the global housing crisis, including affordability pressures, governance gaps, and inequality.

Special sessions on affordable housing financing, cultural heritage preservation, and inclusive urban renewal will also be organized within the framework of WUF13. The main goal of the forum is to strengthen international cooperation for the development of safe, sustainable, and inclusive cities.

Bringing together governments, international organizations, local authorities, civil society, businesses, academia and grassroots communities, WUF13 will serve as a global platform to advance partnerships and accelerate action on the global housing crisis while promoting safe, resilient and inclusive cities and communities.