The forum on "Housing the World: Safe and Sustainable Cities and Communities" is organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) in cooperation with the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan.

The theme chosen for the forum is based on the priorities of the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 and is essential for addressing the global housing crisis.

It should be noted that in recent years, much attention has been paid worldwide to housing construction and urbanization. In this regard, the United Nations has developed the concept of a "unified city-village system", according to which the city is considered not as a separate administrative unit, but as part of a single transport, economic, food and environmental system with adjacent territories.

Large-scale reforms in the field of housing construction and urbanization are also being implemented in Uzbekistan at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Over the past eight years, 120 million square meters of housing, or more than 600,000 houses and apartments, have been built and commissioned in the country. To support the purchase of housing, 541 thousand citizens have been allocated preferential mortgage loans and subsidies in the amount of 103 trillion soums. As a result, the level of urbanization increased from 40.3% in 1991 to 51%.

The National Committee for the Sustainable Development of Urbanization and the Housing Market was established by the decree of the President of Uzbekistan for the systematic and effective implementation of urbanization policy. He is charged with the tasks of implementing state policy in the field of urbanization, housing construction, renovation and mortgage lending, as well as coordinating relevant programs.

If we look at statistics, over the past nine years, almost 10,000 construction companies have started operating in Uzbekistan. 20 large companies with a turnover of more than 1 trillion soums and 365 companies with figures over 100 billion soums have been formed. The number of design organizations has exceeded two thousand, of which more than 650 have received international certificates.

During this period, the time for obtaining permits in the construction sector was reduced by 3 times, and the time for procedures was reduced by 4 times. 420 urban planning rules and regulations were consolidated, outdated ones were abolished, 140 new ones were approved.

As a result, 210 million square meters of buildings and structures have been built in recent years, more than 15,000 multi-storey buildings with 647,000 apartments. The volume of construction work increased from 30 trillion soums in 2016 to 314 trillion soums last year. Today, the population of Uzbekistan exceeds 38 million people, the level of urbanization has reached 51%, and almost 20 million people live in cities.

These indicators indicate dynamic urbanization processes in Uzbekistan and their harmonization with international trends. In such conditions, the issues of sustainable development of urban infrastructure, the formation of modern settlements, as well as ensuring environmental and social balance become particularly relevant. In this regard, further integration of Uzbekistan's urbanization policy with international experience and expansion of international cooperation is an important direction.

The UN-Habitat Programme, headquartered in Nairobi, is a specialized agency for human settlements. It is aimed at supporting sustainable urban development, shaping the global urbanization agenda and coordinating UN activities in this area.

The World Urban Forum (WUF), established in 2001, is the United Nations' largest global conference on urban development. It is hosted by UN-Habitat to discuss the impact of urbanization on society, the economy, and climate change.

In accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 71/256, the forum has been identified as one of the key platforms for evaluating the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

Today, WUF is seen as a leading international platform bringing together various stakeholders in the field of housing and sustainable urban development. It involves national, regional and local authorities, civil society, the private sector, international organizations, academia and other stakeholders.

The final document of the forum is expected to be the Baku Call to Action, which will reflect the key issues of the global housing crisis and practical measures to address them. This document should become an important guideline for policy development and implementation of practical mechanisms at the local, national and global levels.

During the Baku forum, special attention will be paid to issues of social housing construction, modernization of informal settlements, development of urban infrastructure, including transport, water supply, sanitation and waste management, as well as improving the quality of life of the population.

The UN also pays great attention to the issues of urbanization in the context of climate and digitalization. Cities are considered as a key climate crisis zone, while emphasizing the need for annual investments of 4.5–5.4 trillion US dollars to create climate-resilient infrastructure by 2030.

The concept of "smart cities" is currently developing towards a human-oriented approach: digital technologies and artificial intelligence are seen not only as a symbol of technological progress, but also as a tool to reduce inequality and expand access to services.

At the same time, cities are becoming key recovery centers in the face of humanitarian crises, forced displacement of the population, destruction of housing and an increasing burden on infrastructure.

At the same time, one of the key challenges of UN policy remains the gap between international regulatory documents and the practical capabilities of states and local authorities. With a lack of financial resources, high-quality data, and effective management mechanisms, even the best strategies risk remaining declarative.

In this regard, modern urban policy is increasingly focusing on the transition from general principles to practical mechanisms - issues of financing, management and responsibility.

News agency "Dunyo".