The program covering the main events of the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), which will be held in Baku from May 17 to 22, has been presented to the public.
According to information provided to elchi by the WUF13 Operations Company, the program brings together representatives of various stakeholders and interest groups within the framework of WUF13 to discuss the issue of housing, one of the most pressing challenges in the world today.
The information states that the WUF13 event, dedicated to the theme “Housing for All: Safe and Resilient Cities and Human Settlements,” will bring together national governments of various world countries, as well as communities, experts, and partners to exchange ideas, shape policy approaches, and accelerate actions regarding sustainable urban development: “The program enables high-level discussions through practical and solution-oriented platforms, as well as interactive meeting formats, and ensures that global policy is based on local experience.”
You can visit this link to get more detailed information about each category and to familiarize yourself with the full program of the WUF13 event: https://wuf.unhabitat.org/main-events
Dialogues: shaping the global housing agenda
High-level dialogues that determine the direction of global discussions form the core of the WUF13 program. Within the framework of these dialogues, the connection of housing provision with inclusivity, sustainability, and urban systems will be explored. In addition, each of the dialogues will bring a significant aspect of housing provision to the discussion:
• Global housing crisis: What is the way out?
• Transformation of informal settlements and slums
• Housing provision in post-crisis urban recovery and reconstruction
• The link between climate and housing policy
• Social and economic impact of housing provision
• New approaches to financing housing provision
The goal of these discussions is to link global problems with practical solutions and joint commitments.
Special sessions: detailed discussion of critical urban planning issues
Within the framework of Special Sessions, topics such as climate adaptation, housing provision, informal settlements, urban renewal, digitalization, financing mechanisms, and inclusive urban development are in the spotlight.
By creating a platform for more specific discussions, these sessions showcase the experience, partnerships, and innovative approaches of various regions.
This includes housing provision in the focus of global coalitions, the WUF13 host country special session, the pulse of healthy homes, affordable housing in Africa (a special session in the format of a compact deal room for investors), cities as playgrounds, cultural heritage and inclusive urban regeneration – A new vision, from waste management to circular economy, stories from “contact lines”: development of urban climate heritage, inclusive urban sustainability in small island developing states, “blue” economy and sustainable tourism, and the WUF13 special closing session.
Assemblies: the power of collective voices
It has been noted that Assemblies create special platforms for various interest groups to come together and express their views on their roles, as well as to articulate common priorities within the framework of the global urban agenda: “Assemblies will bring together representatives of local and regional governments, grassroots and community-based organizations, as well as women, youth, business circles, and industry sectors, including parliamentary representatives, to exchange ideas on key urban planning issues.
By encouraging dialogue among these groups, the assemblies will contribute to reflecting diverse opinions in the outcomes of the event and strengthen collective advocacy for sustainable urban development.”
Roundtables: moving from dialogue to action
The forum will also organize roundtables – action-oriented sessions that bring partners and colleagues together to exchange ideas on key urban planning issues. In addition to serving as a platform for defining common positions and exploring possible options to combat emerging challenges, these discussions will present projects, initiatives, and scientific research activities that demonstrate the value of inclusivity and mutual learning on an equal footing.
Roundtables consist of 12 sessions dedicated to specific interest groups or thematic areas: One UN, local and regional governments, business organizations, women, persons with disabilities, parliamentary representatives, academia, children and youth, professionals, grassroots and civil society organizations, rights of indigenous peoples, and rights of older persons.