Day 2 at WUF13, turning dialogue into action
WUF13 Day 2 Briefing: Mobilizing Global Collaborations for Sustainable Urbanization
The 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku hit its stride on Day 2, transitioning from high-level dialogue to actionable strategies. With over 24,000 participants from 169 countries convening for more than 470 sessions throughout the week, the day’s agenda focused heavily on housing accessibility, climate resilience, and localized urban solutions.
1. High-Level Opening Ceremony: Redefining Housing as Human Dignity
The official opening ceremony gathered heads of state, ministers, mayors, and international delegates to confront the compounding pressures of rapid urbanization, housing shortages, inequality, and climate change.
A central takeaway came from Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, who underscored the expanded definition of modern housing:
“Housing is not only about shelter. It is about dignity, opportunity, climate resilience and the future of our societies.”
The assembly established that addressing the housing crisis requires scaled-up international partnerships and immediate local implementation rather than slow, incremental policy shifts.
2. The WUF13 Urban Expo: A Record-Breaking Global Showcase
Day 2 marked the official opening of the largest Urban Expo in the history of the World Urban Forum, transforming the Baku Olympic Stadium into a massive hub for urban innovation.
Key Expo Metrics:
- Total Exhibition Area: $35,000 square meters
- Global Representation: $217+ organizations from $66 countries
- Historic Milestone: This year features the highest participation of civil society organizations in WUF history, ensuring dedicated pavilions focused strictly on social inclusion, accessibility, and human rights.
3. Specialized Forum Highlights & Regional Alliances
Beyond the main stages, several key pavilions and high-level assemblies advanced specific agendas:
The UN-Habitat Pavilion & Arena
Centering on the theme “Housing the World,” this pavilion serves as an interactive exhibition space. The indoor UN-Habitat Arena will act as a dedicated micro-forum all week, hosting targeted panels on cross-sector partnerships and scalable sustainable development.
MINURVI High-Level Meeting
Ministers and local authorities from Latin America and the Caribbean convened a high-level regional meeting.
- Focus: Aligning housing policies with climate resilience.
- Next Steps: Formulating regional priorities ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda and laying the groundwork for WUF14, which will be hosted in Mexico City.
Stakeholder Assemblies Closing
Concluding assemblies on housing rights, gender equality, and local governance successfully consolidated their findings. Their formal recommendations are now being integrated directly into the drafting of the Baku Call to Action the primary outcome document intended to guide global urban policy post-forum.
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