Azerbaijan calls for coordinated action on housing at WUF13

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev has warned that the global housing crisis cannot be resolved by any single government or organisation, calling instead for coordinated international action.

Speaking at the “One UN” roundtable during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Rafiyev stressed that access to safe and affordable housing is fundamental to achieving broader global development goals.

“Without addressing the issues of safe and affordable housing, it is impossible to achieve goals in healthcare, education, economic growth, and climate resilience,” he said, underscoring the cross-sectoral importance of housing policy.

Rafiyev also highlighted the environmental dimension of urban development, noting that cities are currently the largest contributors to global emissions, responsible for around 70% of CO2 output. In this context, he emphasised that housing and urban planning cannot be treated as isolated sectors.

“Therefore, housing and urban development systems are not a separate sector but are closely interconnected with other areas. They play a key role in development and directly affect people’s well-being and environmental sustainability,” he stated.

Addressing the scale of the challenge, Rafiyev said: “The problem is too large and complex, therefore it requires coordinated actions by many stakeholders.” He stressed that fragmented approaches are insufficient to tackle housing issues effectively.

According to the deputy foreign minister, the United Nations system still frequently operates in a disjointed manner, limiting its overall impact. He called for stronger coordination within the UN framework and broader multilateral cooperation to ensure more effective responses to housing challenges worldwide.

By Tamilla Hasanova