BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 24. On 23 October, the second session (OEWG-H2) of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group established under the 2023 resolution of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly on “Adequate Housing for All” was held at the UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, Trend reports.
Within the session, Azerbaijan was elected Co-Chair of the Bureau of the Working Group for the period 2025–2026. Somalia was elected as the other Co-Chair. Previously, this position was held by Kenya and France.
The Intergovernmental Working Group acts as the secretariat of the UN-Habitat Assembly, develops recommendations, coordinates the activities of Member States, and contributes to shaping and accelerating the implementation of global policy aimed at ensuring safe, sustainable, and affordable housing for all.
Azerbaijan’s co-chairmanship of the Bureau will further strengthen the country’s engagement in global urban development processes and contribute to advancing solutions for adequate housing at the international level. Moreover, this high-level role will serve as an important platform to highlight the initiatives and outcomes of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), which will be held in Baku on 17–22 May 2026 under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.”
Cooperation between UN-Habitat and Azerbaijan in the field of
sustainable urban development and human settlements has been
steadily expanding in recent years. Alongside hosting WUF13,
Azerbaijan is a member of the UN-Habitat Executive Board.
Experts from the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture
and ADA University are members of the Working Group preparing the
International Guidelines on People-Centered Smart Cities initiated
by UN-Habitat.
In 2023, the World Habitat Day was organized by UN-Habitat in
Baku.
Moreover, UN-Habitat has actively supported the National Urban
Forums of Azerbaijan held in 2022, 2023, and 2025.