World Urban Forum

World Urban Forum (WUF), established by the United Nations in 2001 as an international platform to examine the impacts of rapid urbanization on societies, cities, economies, climate change, and policies. Organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the forum is a technical meeting aimed at facilitating global knowledge sharing, promoting best practices, and enhancing coordination among stakeholders in the field of sustainable urbanization.

The intellectual and institutional foundations of the World Urban Forum were shaped by three key United Nations conferences on human settlements (Habitat I, II, and III):

• Habitat I (1976, Vancouver): The "Vancouver Action Plan," the first global roadmap addressing challenges of urbanization, was adopted. In line with the conference’s decisions, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS – Habitat) was established in 1978 with its headquarters in Nairobi.
• Habitat II (1996, Istanbul): Known as the "Cities Summit," this conference adopted the "Habitat Agenda" and the "Istanbul Declaration," which set the goals of "housing for all" and "sustainable human settlements."
• Habitat III (2016, Quito): The "New Urban Agenda" was adopted, complementing Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG11). This document established new standards for how cities should be built and managed.

By United Nations General Assembly Resolution 56/206 of 2002, the previously center-level structure was transformed into a full-fledged programme under the name United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

The organization’s operations are built upon three key objectives:

• Raising Awareness: Enhancing global awareness among stakeholders and the general public regarding sustainable urbanization.
• Knowledge Generation and Sharing: Expanding collective knowledge on urban development through open discussions and the exchange of best practices.
• Strengthening Coordination: Increasing synergy and technical cooperation among diverse stakeholders to implement sustainable urbanization.

Türkiye has demonstrated an active profile within the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and has assumed various institutional roles:

• Governing Council Membership: Türkiye was elected as a member of the UN-Habitat Governing Council for the period 2011–2014.
• Permanent Representation: Türkiye’s work with UN-Habitat is monitored by its Embassy in Nairobi, where the ambassador serves as Permanent Representative on the Committee of Permanent Representatives.
• Hosting and Collaboration: Türkiye hosted Habitat II in 1996, facilitating the adoption of landmark documents that marked a turning point for the organization. National coordination is led by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (formerly the Ministry of Public Works) and TOKİ.
• Awards and Contributions: In 2010, Türkiye received the Rafik Hariri UN-Habitat Memorial Award at the Prime Minister level, and TOKİ’s initiatives have been repeatedly recognized by the organization. Türkiye also periodically provides voluntary financial contributions to the organization’s core budget and local projects.

Since 2002, the WUF has convened every two years in a different city to discuss global urban policies:

^{WUF1 Nairobi, Kenya (}World Urban Forum Official Website⁾

1. WUF 1 (2002): Nairobi, Kenya.
2. WUF 2 (2004): Barcelona, Spain.
3. WUF 3 (2006): Vancouver, Canada.
4. WUF 4 (2008): Nanjing, China.
5. WUF 5 (2010): Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
6. WUF 6 (2012): Naples, Italy.
7. WUF 7 (2014): Medellín, Colombia.
8. WUF 8 (2016): Quito, Ecuador (held as part of Habitat III, not as a standalone WUF).
9. WUF 9 (2018): Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
10. WUF 10 (2020): Abu Dhabi, UAE.
11. WUF 11 (2022): Katowice, Poland.
12. WUF 12 (2024): Cairo, Egypt.
13. WUF 13 (2026): Baku, Azerbaijan.

The process initiated in 2002 in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya (WUF1), has continued with sessions held every two years on different continents:

• Early Period (2002–2010): The sessions in Nairobi (2002), Barcelona (2004), Vancouver (2006), Nanjing (2008), and Rio de Janeiro (2010) primarily focused on issues aligned with the Millennium Development Goals, such as improving living conditions of slum dwellers and access to basic services.
• Expansion Period (2012–2024): The sessions in Naples (2012), Medellín (2014), Kuala Lumpur (2018), Abu Dhabi (2020), Katowice (2022), and Cairo (2024) brought forward more complex topics including urban resilience, climate change, and urban finance.

The sessions of the World Urban Forum (WUF) have evolved since 2002 around various themes and agenda items reflecting the priorities of the global urban agenda. The forum’s overarching goal is to examine the impacts of rapid urbanization on societies, economies, climate change, and policies. The agendas and thematic developments of previous forums can be summarized as follows:

• Early Period and Housing-Centered Agenda: In the forum’s early years, particularly following the adoption of the "Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium" in 2001, core agenda items included housing rights, management of rapid urbanization, and strategies to reduce poverty. Work during this period focused on improving living conditions of slum dwellers as part of the Millennium Development Goals.
• Sustainable Urbanization and Institutional Development: Over time, the forum’s agenda expanded to include broader technical areas such as strengthening local governance, urban planning, and access to basic services, within the framework of strategic plans aligned with a vision of sustainable urbanization.
• New Urban Agenda and SDG11 (Post-2016): Following the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in 2016, the forums adopted an action-oriented structure focused on building inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities under the principle of "leaving no one behind." Climate change, urban resilience, and urban finance became priority issues during this phase.

^{WUF13 Baku, Azerbaijan (}World Urban Forum Official Website⁾

The 13th session of the forum (WUF13) will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026, in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The forum will be conducted in a physical format and will bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from national, regional, and local governments, academics, business leaders, community leaders, urban planners, and civil society organizations. Sessions will be conducted in various formats, including "Voices from Cities," "SDGs in Action," and "Networking Events." Additionally, institutions and organizations will set up booths in exhibition areas known as "Urban Expo."

Each session of the World Urban Forum is structured around a specific overarching theme. The theme for WUF13, to be held at the Baku Olympic Stadium in 2026, has been designated as "Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities." The key issues to be addressed include:

• Global Housing Crisis and the Right to Housing: The redefinition of the right to housing and housing finance processes will be discussed.
• Resilient Urbanization: The transformation of informal settlements, post-crisis reconstruction, and the relationship between climate change and housing will be examined.
• Inclusive Urban Transformation: Practical experiences will be shared to strengthen socially and climate-resilient communities.
• Maintenance and Accessibility: The planning of housing as a maintenance infrastructure and the creation of more accessible cities by reducing automobile dependency will be brought to the agenda.

The forum provides a platform for local governments and regional alliances to share experiences at the international level. Organizations such as the Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU) organize sessions at the forum to present their work in areas such as urban transformation, migration, and social policy. During the forum, international commitments such as the "Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration," launched to address metropolitan-scale housing crises, are unveiled, and local collaboration experiences are reported. These processes serve as instruments for translating global urban agendas into local policy frameworks.