BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18. The World Urban Forum serves as a result-oriented global platform by successfully converging policy dialogue, innovation, capacity building, and political cooperation, Anaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), said during the official opening press conference on the second day of WUF13 in Baku, Trend reports.
According to the executive director, the upcoming ministerial dialogue within the forum will directly contribute to shaping the next critical phase of the New Urban Agenda.
"Today, practical solutions are actively being deployed across various global cities to upgrade informal settlements, expand public services, and reinforce climate resilience. The primary challenge we face is not a lack of solutions, but rather the speed and scale of their implementation," Rossbach stated.
Rossbach pointed out that a significant portion of urban innovation is generated precisely at the local level, often under tightly constrained resources and challenging conditions. She emphasized that empowering cities and local communities remains absolutely vital to achieving overarching global development targets.
The UN-Habitat chief also drew attention to the critical importance of strategic partnerships, noting that given the current scale and complexity of modern urbanization challenges, no single entity or stakeholder can navigate these issues alone.
She added that WUF13 functions as an essential vehicle for transitioning from theoretical dialogue to real field action. The "Baku Call to Action," which will be officially adopted at the conclusion of the forum, will reflect a shared vision and a collective global commitment toward building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities.
"The necessity is already clear: the knowledge and solutions are available. The core issue now is demonstrating the collective political will to turn inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities into a reality for everyone," Rossbach concluded.
