World Urban Forum 2026 (WUF13) – Executive Summary Report
Event: Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13)
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Dates: 17–22 May 2026
Organizers: UN-Habitat & Government of Azerbaijan
Theme: “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities”
📊 Event Overview
WUF13 marked a historic milestone as the largest World Urban Forum to date, convening over 57,000 participants from 176 countries. The gathering united national ministers, mayors, UN agencies, civil society, grassroots organizations, the private sector, and academia to tackle the global housing crisis and advance sustainable urbanization.
Key Innovations Introduced at WUF13:
- First-ever Leaders’ Statement Summit featuring 27 Heads of State and Government
- Launch of the Baku Urban Award for excellence in urban development
- Introduction of the Business & Innovation Hub to accelerate private-sector partnerships
- WUF Academy Campus for capacity building and professional training
- Practices Hub showcasing scalable, community-led urban interventions
🏠 Core Focus: The Global Housing Crisis
The Forum placed the global housing emergency at the center of the sustainable development agenda. UN estimates indicate that 3.4 billion people worldwide live in inadequate housing conditions. WUF13 reinforced adequate housing as a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for inclusive, resilient, and climate-adaptive cities.
Primary Challenges Addressed:
- Financialization and commodification deepening urban inequality
- Poor land management causing spatial segregation and displacement
- Declining public funding and fragmented housing finance mechanisms
- Climate vulnerability disproportionately affecting informal settlements
- Forced evictions and tenure insecurity undermining human dignity
- Structural gender barriers limiting women’s access to housing and property rights
📜 Principal Outcome: The Baku Call to Action
The landmark outcome of WUF13 was the adoption of the Baku Call to Action, a stakeholder-driven framework designed to accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda and guide urban policy through 2030 and beyond.
Three Strategic Pillars
- Recognize Underlying Rights & Drivers
Protect housing as a human right, safeguard homes in conflict/displacement contexts, apply intersectional approaches, and prioritize climate-resilient, community-led housing systems. - Respond to Direct Manifestations
Integrate housing with transport and services, ensure affordability through social housing and anti-speculation measures, build inclusive neighborhoods, and legally prohibit forced evictions. - Transform Housing Systems
Diversify housing models (incremental building, cooperatives, community land trusts), secure equitable land governance, reform inclusive housing finance, strengthen multilevel governance, and leverage AI/data for participatory planning.
🌍 Key Highlights & Initiatives
- 4SRP Initiative (Smart & Sustainable Human Settlements for Safe Return): A joint Azerbaijan–UN-Habitat–IOM framework establishing international standards for post-conflict urban recovery, climate resilience, and peacebuilding.
- Baku Master Plan 2040: Presented as a model for sustainable urban growth integrating smart infrastructure, green corridors, and inclusive zoning.
- Ministerial Meeting on the New Urban Agenda: Marked the 10th anniversary of the NUA, with delegates declaring 2026–2036 the “Decade of Action” for urban sustainability.
- Forward Linkage: The Baku Call to Action will inform the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda (July 2026) and guide preparations for WUF14 in Mexico City (2028).
🎯 Strategic Recommendations for Stakeholders
| Stakeholder Group | Key Actions |
|---|---|
| National Governments | Embed housing as a human right in law; decentralize land management; increase public investment in affordable housing |
| Local Authorities | Lead integrated spatial planning; strengthen municipal finance; foster participatory governance |
| Private Sector | Partner on innovative financing; adopt inclusive business models; prioritize low-carbon construction |
| Civil Society & Grassroots | Lead community-driven housing solutions; monitor implementation; advocate for tenure security |
| International Organizations | Support capacity building; align climate & development finance with housing priorities |
| Academia & Research | Generate context-specific evidence; bridge data gaps; train professionals in resilient urban practice |
🔮 Conclusion & Forward Outlook
WUF13 in Baku successfully elevated the global housing crisis to the center of international sustainable development policy. By adopting the action-oriented Baku Call to Action, diverse stakeholders have committed to transforming housing systems through rights-based, inclusive, and climate-resilient approaches.
The Forum also reinforced Azerbaijan’s growing role as a global convener on urban sustainability and post-conflict reconstruction. As the world approaches the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, WUF13 has laid critical groundwork for accelerating progress on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships).
Next Steps:
- Operationalize the Baku Call to Action through national and local implementation plans
- Strengthen the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing (OEWG-H)
- Prepare for WUF14 in Mexico City (2028) with trackable commitments and documented best practices
- Integrate housing priorities into climate finance mechanisms and post-2030 development frameworks
Disclaimer: The Baku Call to Action is a stakeholder-driven outcome document and does not constitute a negotiated intergovernmental agreement. It reflects collective inputs from diverse urban actors and does not necessarily represent the official positions of UN Member States or the UN Secretariat. Report compiled using official UN-Habitat sources, WUF13 documentation, and verified public reports as of May 2026.