Press - Daily Press Briefing (WUF13)

Hello.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, members of the media.
We are having our regular daily media briefing.
Today is the 21st of May 2026, and my name is A Katina Gatt.
I'm heading communications for YN habitat, and I will provide you a briefing of the key things from the searching session of the Waldowin Forum.
The searching session of the Waldowin Forum is underway in Baku.
We just completed the four days of the work of the forum, and over 38,000 participants from over 175 countries took part in the session activities to date.
We have also more than 800 media representatives who are present and covering the forum and the work of the forum.
Day four of the World Urban Forum explored the growing connections between housing, climate resilience, and inclusive urban development.
Across many sessions, participants discuss how cities can respond to climate risks, transform informal settlements, and avanced housing solutions that leave no one behind.
Discussions through the fourth day of the forum highlighted the urgent need to connect housing, climate action, and implementation on the ground.
Some of the emerging actions focused on financing housing beyond the market means, rethinking cultural heritage and urban regeneration to understand historical and local contexts.
Innovation and social housing rental, how to go from science to action, and how science can and data support practical work on the ground.
Many of these themes emerging from World Oven Forum 13, including housing, climate resilience, and inclusive urban development were also reflected in the International Union of Architects 2030 Award.
It was presented yesterday here in the press room and it is done in partnership with UN Habitat by the Union of Architects, International Union of Architects.
The award recognized projects from around the world demonstrating how architecture and urban design can contribute to the sustainable development goals and the new urban agenda.
Those were the key highlights from our day four, and now I would like to give you some highlights and some hints of what are the main topics and the main things that are happening at the forum today.
Shortly at 1:00 P.M.
We have special session, inclusive urban resilience, blue economy, and sustainable tourism in seeds.
It is from 1:00 P.M.
To 3:00 P.M.
In the special sessions room A.
The session will look how can islands cities lead the way in resilience and sustainable urban futures.
This session will consider innovative practices and practices in resilient housing, inclusive urban planning and investment strategies, community centered governance, and informal settlements transformation.
Emphasizing actionable locally led and culturally ground solutions.
That's the special session in Room A.
Special session Africa Affordable Housing Compact deal.
Room for investors.
This session will take place from 3:00 P.M.
To 3:30 P.M.
To 5:30 P.M.
And it will be taking place in special sessions room B.
This session will look at Africa's housing challenge and not only as a challenge, but the world's next major investment opportunity.
The Africa Affordable Housing Compact is a strategic multi stakeholder initiative designed to transform Africa's housing sector by driving investment fostering innovation and strengthening partnerships.
Its core objective is to tackle the continent's severe housing deficit.
A central feature of the compact is the deal platform, which acts as a connector between investors, accelerators, financial institutions, and high impact housing projects.
Another interesting session is academia and Research Roundtable.
It takes place from 1:00 P.M.
To 3:00 P.M.
In the round table room A, the session will answer the question, how can research and education close the gap between knowledge and housing solutions at scale? The Booth 13 Academia and Research roundtable will therefore serve as a platform to further mobilize academic knowledge and innovation to build actionable solutions to address the global housing crisis within the framework of sustainable development goals, SDG 11, specifically on sustainable cities and communities and the new urban agenda.
Children and Youth roundtable will take place from 1:00 P.M.
To 3:00 P.M.
In the Roundtable room B.
This session will look at how can cities be co designed with young people to create truly livable urban futures.
The roundtable will inform the Baku call to action, the outcome document that is expected from World Urban Forum 13, ensuring that the lived realities of young people translate into complete commitments for livable, inclusive and equitable cities.
Like all W 13 stakeholder led sessions, this roundtable was developed through a participatory process driven mainly by children, youth, and stakeholders who were advocating for their rights.
Then we also have events at the UN Habitat Arena.
One of the events that might be of interest is housing multipliers, solutions powering economies and communities.
This session is going to take place at the Practices Hub from 12:00.
The practices Hub is located in the Urban Expo space.
It will look at how can housing investments unlock economic opportunity and wider social returns.
This session highlights practical examples from around the world that demonstrate this economic and social multipliers in action, showcasing innovative housing projects, community led initiatives, and scalable solutions that turn safe, adequate, and affordable homes into tangible drivers of inclusive and sustainable development.
Another interesting session is taking place at the Urban Cinema What no one wants to see homelessness, of course, we must make visible.
This is a screening of a trailer of a documentary which will take place from 215 in the Urban expo space.
This session is organized by HG C, which connected directly with Wo thirteen's theme by placing homelessness at the center of global conversation on adequate, safe, and resilient housing.
It is a screening of a trailer of a film will be released that is released in cinemas.
And the screening and subsequent dialogue aim to encourage international cooperation, inspire policy action, and reinforce the urgency of addressing homelessness as the essential component of building safe, inclusive, and resilient cities.
One of the main characters that is featured in this film is going to be present at this session, and it is possible to approach him for interviews, and he is participating in the work of the World Urban Forum.
And then I also would like to highlight some of the events that are going to be taking place at the press conference room, some of the press conferences that we have scheduled for today.
One is taking place from 1:15 to 2:00 P.M.
Habitat Professional Forum launches new global framework for transformative recovery from disasters.
It is from 1:15 to 2:00 P.M.
In the press conference room.
The Habitat Professionals Forum is launching this recover in the future, a framework for transformative recovery from disasters at the Wilderwman Forum.
In Baku, calling for a major shift in how recovery from disasters is planned and delivered.
The framework moves beyond the traditional Build Back Better approach, advocating instead for recovery processes that address the root causes of vulnerability and help communities transition towards safer, more equitable, regenerative, and climate adaptive futures.
Following that press conference, we have another one, new UN Habitat Report on urban content of the National Climate plans, NDCs, 3.0 cities at the center.
It is also going to be taking place in the press conference room.
This is a new UN Habitat analysis which reveals a major shift in national climate planning and putting cities at the center.
The report, Urban content in NDCs 3.0 cities at the center, analyze 142 national climate plans submitted to the UNF triple C by mid April.
And findings suggest that countries are increasingly focusing on cities to help deliver climate goals.
Housing, transport, infrastructure, energy, waste management, and other urban services are becoming more visible across national climate strategies as governments move from broad climate ambition towards implementation.
The presentation of this report will take place here at the press conference room as I suggested.
So, um I think these are one of the main highlights that I have for you for today.
If you have any questions, you can come and talk to us here at the Media Hub or address the welcoming desk that we have here.
We are happy to help you to find your way through the forum, and I hope you can enjoy your coverage and your activities at the forum.
We'll see you and enjoy the day.
Thank you very much for your attention.