UN-Habitat and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan have announced the theme for the upcoming thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13): “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.”
The announcement was made at the recently held resumed second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.
Set to take place in Baku from May 17 to 22, 2026, WUF13 will focus global attention on the housing crisis and underscore the role of adequate housing in building inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable cities and communities.
“The World Urban Forum is one of the largest UN platforms convening diverse parties to exchange, partner and act on priorities to promote sustainable cities and communities – in line with the priorities of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals – and is a truly transformative global urban coalition,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Assembly, which brought together 193 Member States and urban stakeholders from across the world to advance sustainable urban development.
Housing at the heart of sustainable urbanisation
The theme of WUF13 comes at a critical moment, with nearly 3 billion people currently experiencing some form of housing inadequacy, including more than 1.1 billion living in informal settlements or slums and over 300 million experiencing homelessness.
“We are determined to work closely with a wide range of partners to make WUF13 in Baku a major milestone for the global housing agenda,” said Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan and WUF13 National Coordinator.
As the world approaches the midpoint in implementing the New Urban Agenda, WUF13 will explore housing as a catalyst for more equitable and climate-resilient urban development. The Forum will also contribute directly to the 2026 UN Secretary-General’s quadrennial report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
Looking ahead to WUF13
Since its inception in 2001, the World Urban Forum has grown into the UN’s premier platform for examining the impacts of rapid urbanisation and sharing solutions. The last session, held in Cairo in 2024, brought together more than 25,000 participants from 182 countries and culminated in the Cairo Call to Action – a roadmap for sustainable urban transformation.