BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. To ensure sustainable and large-scale housing provision, existing approaches to assessment and planning must be revised, Ugochi Florence Daniels, the Deputy Director General for Operations at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said, Trend reports.
Speaking at the event on "Housing at the Centre of Crisis Recovery and Reconstruction" held as part of WUF13, Florence Daniels noted that existing approaches are mainly focused on counting the number of damaged buildings, but this is insufficient, and it is necessary to take into account people’s actual needs.
“We need to communicate directly with people, determine what they need to live and what their rights are,” he emphasized.
Daniels further noted that investments in land registries, housing policy, and financial mechanisms are crucial for a sustainable housing system.
According to her, forced displacement occurs primarily in urban settings, placing significant pressure on cities.
“The data shows that one of the key conditions for securing a livelihood and self-sufficiency is access to sustainable housing,” he said. The IOM representative emphasized that city municipalities and local authorities play a key role in this process, and there are successful examples in various countries, such as Uruguay, Ukraine, and the Philippines.
She added that migration and urbanization, when properly managed, create powerful opportunities for sustainable development.
“When we put housing at the center of recovery and build it systematically, we not only achieve large-scale results but also protect rights and ensure a decent life for people,” said W. Daniels.
According to her, the main problem lies not in the availability of technical solutions, but in the existence of political will in this direction.
Today marks the fifth day of WUF13 in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit, featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and sustainable transport.
One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and the Turkish city of Trabzon.
The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.
One of the important events of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the “Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”
Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and Decision-Making” was held.
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.
