The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.
How do we turn global housing commitments into action at scale? Housing is gaining prominence within global governance platforms as a critical foundation for social stability, climate resilience, and economic recovery. Major intergovernmental coalitions—including the Group of Seven (G7), Group of Twenty (G20), Group of 77 (G77), and BRICS—are increasingly recognizing housing as a cross-cutting priority within their policy agendas. However, translating these political commitments into large-scale financing and concrete implementation remains a significant challenge. This special session will explore how global coalitions and international financial institutions can work together to place housing at the center of multilateral cooperation and investment. Convened by UN-Habitat, this session will bring together ministers, city leaders, representatives of international financial institutions, and key stakeholders to discuss pathways for aligning global political commitments with innovative financing mechanisms and implementation support. Guiding questions How can housing be more systematically integrated into the overall political agendas of G7, G20, G77, and BRICS to accelerate the attainment of the SDGs, specifically SDG target 11.1 on a global scale? What types of coalitions and partnership models are most effective in mobilizing multilateral, national, and local actors around a shared global housing agenda? What lessons can be drawn from existing global processes or coalitions—such as those on climate, health, or food security—that could inform stronger global collaboration and governance for housing? Which innovative financing approaches best complement these coalition-based efforts to ensure housing investments are inclusive, climate-aligned, and scalable? How can UN-Habitat act as facilitator to strengthen coordination between global coalitions, IFIs, and local actors, while promoting practical implementation? Expected outcomes The special session will strengthen recognition of housing within global intergovernmental coalitions, mobilize IFIs around coalition-driven priorities, and catalyze commitments for innovative global housing solutions. It will help align multilateral political declarations with financial instruments, scaling up resources for affordable, adequate, and climate-resilient housing. Objectives With less than five years left until 2030, housing is one of the key levers for achieving impact for people and planet on scale. This special session will spotlight how major global coalitions and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) including the World Bank, regional development banks, and new actors such as the BRICS New Development Bank can strengthen cooperation to position housing at the center of global governance and financing to accelerate the attainment of the SDGs. By convening decision-makers from intergovernmental forums alongside IFIs, the session will demonstrate how multilateral political commitments can unlock innovative financing instruments, blended finance, and climate-aligned housing investments.
