BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. A panel discussion on the theme "Launching the Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration Bold Commitments to Tackle the Housing Crisis at Metropolitan Scale" has been held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Trend reports.
During the session, the "Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration: The Future of the Metropolis Beyond 2030" has been officially presented. The declaration was adopted on October 15, 2025, by mayors, presidents, and other political representatives during the World Metropolitan Summit and the 10th anniversary of the European Metropolitan Authorities (EMA) Forum.
Jordi Castellana Gamisans, Vice President for International Relations and Digital Metropolis of Barcelona, and Cemil Arslan, Secretary General of the Marmara Municipalities Union of Türkiye, delivered speeches at the event.
Meanwhile, the third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) is underway in Baku.
On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework of the forum.
The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
