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.
