On May 17, thematic panels on the topic "Adequate Housing for All" were organized on the first day of the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).
Medianews.az reports that the first panel was held on "Housing for Social Inclusion and Ending Poverty." At the opening of this panel segment, moderated by Nadya Gyane, speeches were made by Gülşen Rzayeva, Deputy National Coordinator of WUF13, Ayub Ismail Yusuf, Somalia's Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, and Anclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
In their speeches, the speakers emphasized that the development of cities plays an important role in social integration, the protection of human dignity, and poverty reduction. It was noted that in the context of increasing urbanization, migration, and climate change, multilateral cooperation and inclusive policies are of special importance, which in turn increases the significance of the New Urban Agenda.
The presentations highlighted that Azerbaijan and Somalia are co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Expert Group of the UN Human Settlements Programme on "Adequate Housing for All" for 2025–2026.
During the panel discussion, Adib Ben-Brahim, Morocco’s Minister of Urban Planning, Housing, and Urban Policy; Say Sam Al, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction; Ömer Bulut, Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; and Karla Brugada, Mayor of Mexico City, spoke about national experiences in ensuring social inclusion. It was stated that housing provision should be regarded as a human right, with its fundamental role for dignity, equality, and social mobility kept at the forefront. This approach will enhance the importance of policies and actions aimed at eliminating social inequality in society, improving housing access for vulnerable groups, and fighting poverty.
On the first day of the session, panels on the topics "Housing and Opportunities for All for Urban Well-being" and "Housing for Ecologically Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development" were also planned.