“WUF13 is an important platform creating new opportunities in the field of international cooperation and urban development," Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Anacláudia Rossbach said during the official opening press conference held within the framework of WUF13, APA reports.
“I have spoken about this repeatedly, and you will see it here in Baku today and in the coming days. I would like to highlight some of the outcomes of this forum. We are presenting the World Cities Report dedicated to the topic of housing. In this report, you will see how cities and countries are dealing with challenges,” Rossbach stressed.
She noted that a comprehensive report on local solutions has been prepared within the framework of the Local2030 platform, which brings together 14-15 UN agencies.
“We are working together with local and regional governments, the private sector, civil society and partners. In addition, we have created a special platform where experiences from different parts of the world are collected. This is a live platform established to support member states,” she said.
According to the head of UN-Habitat, bringing partners together is an important example of the activities carried out by international organisations in the fields of awareness-raising and knowledge exchange: “At the same time, there is also a strong role in terms of shaping normative frameworks.”
She stated that, in relation to the theme of the forum, the United Nations supports the open-ended working group on housing issues together with member states.
“Azerbaijan is currently co-chairing that working group together with Somalia. The activities of the working group will continue until 2029, and it is expected to prepare normative recommendations related to resolving the housing crisis,” she stressed.
Rossbach noted that the main goal is to develop appropriate policies, urban plans and projects to combat the housing crisis: “The main objective here is to find answers to issues such as how the housing crisis should be addressed, which policies are recommended by the UN and member states, which urban plans are considered appropriate, what kind of projects are needed to resolve the problems of informal settlements, and how standards that meet both social and environmental requirements should be implemented.”
The head of UN-Habitat added that although the housing crisis is global in nature, countries have different socio-economic and cultural characteristics.
“That is why we must support countries in building systems that will combat the housing crisis — national policies, legislation, local urban planning plans and proper financial systems must be developed.”
