The global housing crisis has reached what UN officials describe as “staggering” proportions, with nearly 2.8 billion people, around 40 per cent of the world’s population, lacking access to adequate housing, secure land, or basic services such as water and sanitation.
The 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) opened in Baku with ministers, UN officials and urban policy leaders. Participants call for action on housing, sustainable development and resilient cities, as rapid urbanisation is placing pressure on infrastructure, services and living conditions.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus could become one of the world’s key strategic connectors in an emerging multipolar order.
Ahead of next week’s World Urban Forum (WUF13), Baku State University and Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture have organised an international conference on sustainable cities and human capital in urban development.
Azerbaijani President met with UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach in Baku on 16 May ahead of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), with both sides highlighting Azerbaijan’s preparations and expanding cooperation in urban development.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 16th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum will open in Baku on Sunday, bringing together government representatives, city leaders, urban planners, international organisations, businesses and civil society to discuss the future of sustainable urban development.
Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, has travelled to Baku to attend the 13th World Urban Forum, where climate change and safer cities will be discussed.
The 13th edition of the World Urban Forum, due to begin in Baku on Sunday (17 May), is an ideal opportunity for Azerbaijan to show the world what successful post-conflict urban development looks like, a representative for the conference has said.
Baku is hosting the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), bringing together political leaders, urban planners, architects and development experts as cities worldwide face mounting pressure from climate change, rapid urbanisation and housing shortages.
For decades, global geopolitics revolved around oil, natural gas, military alliances and strategic waterways. That era is not over - but it is no longer sufficient to explain the emerging world order. Or perhaps more accurately, the emerging world disorder.
The second semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place tonight in a rain-soaked Vienna, with the final 10 places in Saturday’s grand final still up for grabs.
Azerbaijan’s chairing of the inaugural Global South NGO Platform (GSNP) assembly in Baku highlights the country’s commitment to regional cooperation, the international civil society network’s Secretary-General has said.
AnewZ has premiered its new investigative documentary, Shadow of the Cross, examining the power, history and contested role of one of the world’s most recognised humanitarian symbols.
Japan’s first import of crude oil from Azerbaijan has highlighted the country’s energy vulnerability and renewed efforts to diversify supply chains beyond the Middle East, according to Professor Sejiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka.
Exclusive flight-tracking material obtained by AnewZ has raised new questions about French military aircraft movements linked to President Emmanuel Macron’s recent diplomacy with Armenia and the wider scope of France’s defence cooperation with Yerevan.
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more than $20m, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has said.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has cited Azerbaijan as an example of what he described as a sovereign foreign policy, recalling remarks made by President Ilham Aliyev during talks in Yerevan, where he sharply criticised resolutions adopted against his country by the European Parliament.
SOCAR has completed the acquisition of a 99.82% stake in Italiana Petroli (IP) from API Holding after receiving all required regulatory approvals.
Fuel exports from Azerbaijan to Armenia are continuing, with eight rail wagons carrying 479 tonnes of diesel fuel dispatched as part of the latest shipment between the two South Caucasus neighbours.
Minval Politika has released new footage it says shows former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing alleged contacts with Armenia’s foreign minister and campaigns linked to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The 19th Azerbaijan International Agricultural Exhibition and Forum, Caspian Agro Week, and the 31st InterFood Azerbaijan have opened in Baku, bringing together global industry leaders, policymakers and investors to showcase innovations in agriculture and food production.
As Azerbaijan expands its economic partnerships beyond traditional markets, the Africa-Azerbaijan Business Forum in Baku is emerging as a new platform for strategic cooperation between the South Caucasus and Africa.
Azerbaijan says political pressure and what it describes as biased rhetoric from some European institutions are complicating peace efforts with Armenia and undermining neutrality in the negotiations.
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