Housing is a human right, and ensuring it is a democratic responsibility of states, Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayor of Banjul, capital of Gambia and President of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA Africa), said at the closing ceremony of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, APA reports.
According to her, ensuring decent housing is impossible without quality public services.
“From Baku, we make this call: housing is a human right, and ensuring it is a democratic responsibility,” she stressed.
Rohey Malick Lowe noted that structural barriers hindering development must be removed in order to achieve the targets set by Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the New Urban Agenda.
According to her, problems such as inequality, poverty, and the transformation of housing into a financial asset hinder the sustainable development of cities.
The REFELA Africa president emphasized that local and regional authorities are not only implementers of decisions, but also political actors participating in shaping global commitments.
“This is not only a matter of policy. It is a matter of trust, democracy, and the future of multilateral cooperation,” she added.
