Press - Daily Press Briefing (WUF13)

Good afternoon.
We are about to start.
I would like to give some highlights for the members of the media who are present about the program and the things that are going to happen at the World Durban Forum.
The 13 session of the World Durban Forum is underway, as you know, and with the first day of the forum bringing together 21000-24 thousand participants in person from at least 166 countries for the largest gathering that is focused on sustainable urban development.
Following Sunday's five dedicated stakeholder assemblies this week, we will see more than 470 events that are bringing together governments local leaders, community organizations, academia, businesses, and practitioners to exchange ideas and identify solutions under the theme housing the world, safe and resilient cities and communities.
I would like to give some of the highlights of the program that you can expect today, and one of the things that is happening now just in a few minutes is the opening of the World Urban Forum Academy.
This is going to be happening in the space in the Urban Expo.
And there you will then learn more information about the different events and different activities that are planned for the Wolf Academy in the space in the Urban Expo.
Then in special room A from 1:00, there is a special session that is called housing at the center of Global coalitions.
This special session will strengthen recognition of housing within global intergovernmental coalitions, mobilize international financial institutions around coalition driven priorities, and catalyze communities for innovative global housing solutions.
It will also help align multilateral political declarations within the financial instruments and scale up resources for affordable, adequate, and climate resilient housing.
There will be discussions about G seven, G 20, G 77, and Bricks, how to accelerate the attainment of the sustainable development goals and specifically SDG 11 on global scale.
That is the special session.
Then there is also an event at the one UN roundtable at 1:00 that is called one UN Roundtable.
It will convene resident coordinators from a number of countries in the region, United Nations entities, national or local partners, and development stakeholders to advance shared UN system approach to adequate housing as a catalyst for SDG acceleration.
That discussion will highlight how the UN development system under the leadership of resident coordinator system can strengthen integrated and multi level responses to the housing crisis while supporting countries and achieving their national development priorities.
Later at 1:15 here in the press room, we expect the media to participate in the launch of the World Cities Report 2026.
This press conference will mark the launch of the report that is called the Global Housing Crisis Pathways to action.
And UN Habitat latest global assessment of the urban housing crisis.
You will hear some new data.
It will present key findings and also recommendations on the global housing crisis, including the need for a new social contract for housing that rebalances the role of governments, markets, and communities.
That's the session at 1:15.
Then there is a special session number three, pulse of Healthy Homes.
It will be from 330 in the special sessions, Room A.
This session will raise global awareness of the housing health nexus and strengthen collaboration between housing, health, and urban policy communities.
It will showcase innovative approaches from governments, cities, and grassroots that improve housing conditions while advancing health, equity, and resilience.
This session will help catalyze different partnerships and inform ongoing work that is happening between World Health Organization WH or UN Habitat Housing and Health Agenda.
And also encouraging cities to place healthy homes at the center of sustainable urban development.
So that's the special session.
Then there is a special session building from the ground up from resistance to alternatives.
It's going to be happening at 3:30 in the special sessions room B.
This session builds on the open ended working group on housing on the process that is happening, and Azerbajan at the moment is one of the co chairs of this process together with Somalia.
This session examines the legal, financial, institutional, and political developments under which community approaches can move from margins to the mainstream of housing systems.
It also treats forced eviction not as an isolated issue, but the one that needs to be managed.
And as a manifestation of broader systemic failure to recognize community, agency, collective rights, and non speculative housing models.
As legitimate instruments for housing policy.
That's the session that is going to be happening in the special sessions room B.
Local and regional governments roundtable will take place from 330 and it will be in the roundtable room A.
This roundtable is organized by Global Taskforce, UN Habitat, and the UN Local 2030 Coalition.
And this roundtable provides a space to elaborate and elevate local and regional governments agenda, their global housing debates under the World Uban Forum theme.
It is anchored in the local 2030 led role to Baku process and engagement.
The session will articulate local priorities, showcase some scalable practices, and identify enabling conditions for inclusive planning, coordinated financing, and effective multilevel governance.
Also 2-5, there is a W 13 NGO forum, non governmental organizations forum, global partnerships, and decision making.
It will be happening in the dialogue room A.
This is the first high level gathering that is designated to bridge the gap between grassroots civil society and global urban policy basically to foster dialogue.
The event will feature two primary panel discussions, one which will focus on how non governmental organizations can impact inclusive urban decision making and another highlighting the importance of global partnerships in achieving sustainable city goals.
It also serves as a platform for sharing best practices from the global South and fostering cooperation between international organizations and local activists.
Some of the representatives that you can find in this event is Rail Iskandari who is the chairman of the board of the Azerbijani National NGOs.
Then Shabnam Safarva who is the chairwoman for the Progress of Karaba Public Union, and Agunali who is the chairperson of the board of the agency on the state support to the NGOs of the Republic of Azerbijan.
Charlene Ruto, head of SMAX Foundation, and then also we will have Director of the United Nations Office for South to South Corporation, Tim Al Khatib, who will be speaking in that session.
Later also in the press room, we will have the launching of the Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration, bold commitments to tackle the housing crisis.
We will have representatives of Area Metropolitana de Barcelona and Metropolis Association from Spain who will talk about their housing commitments.
Then I also would like to highlight some of the events that are happening in the Azerbijan Pavilion at the Urban Expo, D eight high level Energy and Urban Dialogue.
It will be happening 3-430 in the Azerbijan Pavilion at the Baku Olympic Stadium.
It will feature a number of events and media representatives are cordially invited to attend this event, which is organized by the Developing Aid Organization for Economic Cooperation, and it is done in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbijan, the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbijan.
It will convene the D eight High level Energy and Urban Dialogue.
On the sidelines of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, Roof 13.
Some of the participants that will be speaking in those events will be Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbijan Parviz Shah Bazov, Federal Minister of Climate Change and Environmental coordination of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and then also Maimuaasrif, who is the property advisor and former director of an habitat and former Mayor of Kuala Lumpur.
There is also a participation of chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr.
Anar Khalif, and the National Coordinator of Wolf 13.
These are some of the highlights and some of the things that I would like to highlight for the coverage that might be of interest to you.
I would like to thank you for your attention.
If there are any questions, we can take them offline, but here I would just like to finish our program for the briefing and we will expect to see you at 1:15 in this room for the launch of the World Cities Report 2026.
Thank you.