BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Across all regions of the world, the issue of housing is no longer a topic excluded from political discourse and has become a central focus of the political, economic, and social agenda, the Director of the Regional Programmes Division at UN-Habitat, Patrick Canagasingham, said, Trend reports.
He made the statement during the panel discussion “Housing at the Center of Global Coalitions,” held as part of WUF13.
“Look at the global economy. Housing systems are already closely linked to productivity, migration, public finances, and sustainable development issues. But what does this actually mean? Housing is no longer a separate sector or a social problem. It is a systemic problem. And systemic problems require a coalition-based approach,” he noted.
The UN-Habitat representative emphasized that if we do not address the housing issue properly, the success of climate strategies, the competitiveness of urban economies, the management of demographic transitions, and the preservation of social cohesion will be at serious risk:
“That is precisely why the housing issue must be at the center of global coalitions. This is not a secondary or ancillary problem.”
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.
