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