UN-Habitat praises Azerbaijan partnership as WUF13 gains global significance

UN-Habitat highly values its partnership with Azerbaijan, the agency’s Director of External Relations, Strategy, Knowledge and Innovation, Edlam Yemeru, said at a press conference held in preparation for the upcoming urban forum.

She noted that the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), scheduled to take place in Baku, is particularly significant in the current global context, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

"The World Urban Forum represents a truly global and inclusive platform. It has established itself as one of the most authoritative international conferences in the field of urban development and housing policy," she stated.

Yemeru underscored the particular importance of 2026 for global urban development, stressing that the housing crisis has reached a critical level worldwide. "Approximately 3 billion people worldwide lack access to adequate housing, of which 1.1 billion are forced to live in slums and informal settlements in extremely difficult conditions. These challenges will be the central theme of the upcoming forum," she said.

To note, the 13th edition of the World Urban Forum will be held in Baku from May 17 to 22.

By Vafa Guliyeva