Press - Daily Press Briefing (WUF13)

Welcome to the daily briefing that we are conducting here at the World Urban Forum.
Today is the 20th of May and I would like to give you a short roundup of what's going to be happening and what has happened so far.
The 13th session of the World Urban Forum, W 13 is underway in Baku.
First three days, the forum has brought together up to 30,000 participants from 174 countries.
These are the participants who joined online and participated here in person at the event.
This is the number that we have so far for the three days that the forum functioned.
It is truly the largest forum that has been convened by the United Nations on sustainable urban development.
It is really living up to the same that we are saying that it is the largest global gathering on sustainable urban development.
On the third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, discussions mainly focused on the growing global housing crisis.
We had the high level dialogues that looked at the global housing crisis and the economic and social power of housing.
Joan Habbat launched the World Cities Report 2026, and then also UN Habitat and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, announced launch of the partnership on the future of cities.
This partnership is being finalized and there will be another report for World Urban Forum 14 that will take place in two years.
There will be a report that will be prepared and launched out of this partnership.
This partnership is a multi stakeholder platform that advances inclusive, resilient, sustainable city development.
We also saw the launch of the Wolf Academy and announcements about urban commitments from the Barcelona municipality.
There was also a launch of the Professionals Forum and Alliance of Professionals and their commitment to housing and inclusive urban development.
I'd also like to give you a rundown of some of the things you can focus on today and highlight some parts of the program that we have prepared.
Of course, at the World Urban Forum, there are much more events happening and you can explore a lot of things.
There is a very vibrant urban expo that is taking place, a lot of pavilions with their own programs, and a lot of sessions in the Wolf Academy, campus, school yard, So there is a lot to explore and we encourage you to explore these things.
But now I would like to highlight some of the things that will be happening here at the press center and also some of the events that are taking place in the main rooms.
From 1:15 to 2:00 P.M.
In this press conference room, there is a session that is called media as a driver of public discourse on housing and urban resilience.
This is organized by the Media Development Center, an agency for state support to non governmental organizations of the Republic of Azerbijan and it will discuss the role of media.
From 3:15 P.M.
To 4:00 P.M.
In the press conference room, we'll have another event that is called local Patterns for the new Urban Agenda.
This is a press conference and it will launch local patterns for the new urban agenda.
It's an initiative that is led by the Paton Institute and partners to address urban global challenges.
It is organized by the Patten Institute, Australia and the Stasis Foundation of the United States of America.
Then in this room from 415 until 6:00 P.M.
In the press room, there will be a launch of the International Union of Architects Award.
It is an award that is given out in partnership with UM Habitat.
This is the third cycle of this award.
This is the third time we are launching this award at the World Aubin Forum and the International Union of Architects Awards award is a biennial international prize that promotes the role of architecture in advancing UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development with a particular focus on SDG 11 that is on sustainable cities and communities and the new Urban agenda.
These are events for today in the press conference room.
I also would like to draw your attention to the special sessions.
There is a special session, cities as playing fields that is going to take place from 1:00 P.M.
To 3:00 P.M.
It is in the special sessions room A, and it will look at what if sports became a core driver of inclusive and resilient cities.
Cities as plain field session will seek to reframe sports not as a leisure activity, but also as an essential part of urban services in the cities.
Sports can be support adequate housing and healthier and more inclusive and more resilient cities.
Just as cities plan for housing, mobility, public space, they must also ensure that accessible opportunities for movement, recreation, and play are also planned, and sports is a really powerful accelerator of the sustainable development goals.
So that's the session.
Another special session, rethinking cultural heritage and inclusive urban regeneration.
This session will take place in room B from 1:00 P.M.
To 3:00 P.M.
It is called rethinking cultural Hetage and inclusive urban regeneration.
Then we also will have Business Roundtable from 1:00 P.M.
To 3:00 P.M.
In round table room A.
And it will unlock private capital to finance adequate housing at scale.
This would be the question that will be addressed at that session.
This Business Roundtable will examine adequate housing through the lens of long term capital development, asset resilience, and delivery risk.
It will bring together investors, developers, financial institutions, and public actors, international financial institutions, and urban experts to examine how housing finance can support both returnees, people who returned to their destructed homes and durable housing outcomes.
Another special session is closing the loop, advancing waste management towards circular economy.
That session will take place from 330 until 530.
It is in special sessions, room A, and it will ask the question, can cities turn waste into opportunity for healthier, more sustainable futures? That will be the focus of that session.
Another special session is stories from the climate frontlines.
It will take place from 3:00 P.M.
To 530 S room B.
Then how can frontline experiences reshape global climate action to housing and cities.
This session will examine how climate finance policy frameworks and local action can better align to support resilient housing, secure land, and sustainable urban cities.
Particular attention in this session will be given to Amazonian cities where rapid urbanization meets acute environmental risks, offering powerful lessons for global climate adaptation.
There is another round table that is taking place today, the round table, the rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This roundtable will take place from 3:30 P.M.
To 530 in the roundtable room A.
The main question this roundtable will address will be what will it take to move from accessibility to truly inclusive housing for all.
This roundtable will showcase emerging practices and partnerships that demonstrate how universal design and disability inclusion benefit all urban residents.
Enhancing safety, mobility, and the quality of life for people in cities.
I also like to draw your attention.
There is a presentation and the launch of another award today, the Baku Urban Award, Scaling Housing Solutions for Global Impact.
This event will take place 130-230.
It will be taking place at the Yuan Habitat Pavilion in the habitat Arena in the Urban Expo space.
This is organized by UN Habitat and the State Committee on Urban Planning and architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The official launch will mark the start of this award.
It will be the first cycle of this award.
It will introduce the initiative to the global audiences, to the governments, practitioners, development partners, and civil society.
And as I said, the event is organized by UN Habitat and the State Committee of Urban Planning and Architecture.
I also would like to let you know that you can always watch all sessions and all things that are happening here at the forum through the UN TV streams.
With the team is stream through the UN web TV, and the site where you can access all the playlists is live webtv.un.org.
This is where you can always look at some of the main sessions and some of the main things that are happening.
That's the update and the briefing that I wanted to provide.
I just want to ask and see if there are any questions, anything that you would like to clarify, anything.
I might not be able to answer it right here, but I'll note it down and I will look for that information if needed.
Well, it's great.
Everything is clear, since everyone is aligned with the agenda, everyone is aware and I would like to wish you all the best for this day for what is happening.
If you have any questions, you can always come to the Media Hub and the welcome desk there, and we will try to address it.
Thank you very much and enjoy another day at this World Durban Forum 13 in Baku.
Thank you.