Baku to host landmark 13th World Urban Forum as global housing crisis deepens
Business
By
Lillian Mutavi
| Nov 26, 2025
The Republic of Azerbaijan will host the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku from May 17–22, 2026, bringing together thousands of global leaders to address an escalating housing crisis that now affects 2.8 billion people worldwide.
The high-level gathering, to be held at the Baku Olympic Stadium, is expected to shape the future of affordable, resilient, and sustainable cities.
Convened by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Government of Azerbaijan, WUF13 will run under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.” The forum will spotlight the urgent need to accelerate access to quality, secure, and climate-resilient housing as climate shocks, conflict, and rapid urbanisation strain communities worldwide.
Housing is recognised as a fundamental human right, yet the world faces a staggering shortfall in adequate homes. According to UN-Habitat estimates which are:2.8 billion people live in inadequate housing.
About 1.1 billion reside in slums or informal settlements,more than 300 million people are homeless,By 2050, nearly 68 percent of the global population will reside in citie while the need to meet demand by 2030, the world needs 96,000 new affordable housing units every day.
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The crisis affects not only the poorest populations but is increasingly squeezing the middle class, whose access to affordable housing is rapidly diminishing in many countries.
The global housing agenda holds particular significance for Kenya, where high housing costs, rapid urbanisation, and informal settlement growth remain major challenges. The government’s Affordable Housing Programme — one of the most ambitious in Africa — is geared toward addressing a national backlog long estimated at over 2 million units.
WUF13 will provide a platform for Kenya to showcase progress, share lessons, attract investment, and learn from global innovations in housing finance, planning, technology, and public-private partnerships.
The six-day forum will be packed with high-level dialogues, technical sessions, exhibitions, and knowledge-sharing events. One of the main attractions will be the Urban Expo, where countries, cities, civil society, and businesses will present innovative housing and urban solutions.
Participants will explore themes including:Housing finance and affordability,slum transformation and urban regeneration,urban recovery in crisis-affected cities,climate–housing nexus and economic and social impacts of the housing deficit.
WUF13 will culminate in the Baku Call to Action, a united global pledge to accelerate affordable and sustainable housing solutions.
Azerbaijan’s capital blends historic architecture with modern, smart-city developments. Once known primarily for its oil wealth, Baku is reinventing itself as a forward-looking, climate-resilient metropolis — a reflection of the development aspirations underpinning WUF13.
“Baku is proud to host WUF13, bringing together leaders and innovators to accelerate the provision of quality, affordable housing. Housing is not just a policy goal, it is a human right and a cornerstone of development, essential for resilient, thriving communities,” said H.E. Sultan Hajiyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kenya and Representative of Azerbaijan to UN-Habitat.
Created in 2001, WUF is the world’s leading conference on sustainable urbanisation. Its first session was held in Nairobi in 2002. Since then, WUF has become the premier platform for global stakeholders — governments, urban experts, the private sector, academia, and civil society — to shape policies and actions that influence how cities evolve.