The Baku Call to Action is an inclusive stakeholder-driven document from WUF13, addressing the global housing crisis and proposing integrated, inclusive solutions.
The document emphasizes the urgent need to prioritize housing as a human right, addressing systemic policy failures, inequality, climate impacts, and governance challenges through multi-stakeholder action and structural reform.
Recognizing Rights and Drivers: Housing is often treated as a commodity rather than a human right, leading to evictions, displacement, and tenure insecurity. The call advocates legal and policy frameworks that protect tenure, prevent forced evictions, and embed community-led, participatory approaches. It stresses safeguarding homes, especially in fragile, post-conflict, or climate change-affected settings, and recognizing diversity by integrating gender, ethnicity, age, disability, and cultural considerations into housing policies. Climate resilience is prioritized through nature-based solutions, Indigenous practices, and infrastructure that mitigate climate-change impacts and promote biodiversity.
Responding to Manifestations: Housing systems are often isolated from infrastructure and services, resulting in urban sprawl and spatial segregation. The call urges integrated spatial planning that links housing with transport, employment, and amenities, fostering inclusive neighborhoods. Affordability remains a critical issue, requiring measures like expanding social and rental housing, regulating speculation, and improving access to finance. Discrimination in housing access must be addressed through inclusive design, safety, and social cohesion initiatives. The Baku Call to Action condemns forced evictions, urging stronger protections, safeguards, and community-led alternatives, emphasizing in-situ upgrading and adequate compensation.
Transforming Housing Systems Diverse, locally grounded housing approaches, including informal, incremental, cooperative, and community-led models are essential for inclusive urban development. Securing land through effective governance, regulation, and land value capture is vital to curb speculation and ensure equitable access. Housing finance systems need reform to enhance public investment, expand credit access, and support low-income households, with a focus on municipal autonomy and blended financing. A multi-sector, integrated planning approach is necessary, connecting housing with land, infrastructure, and services, driven by empowered local governments and civil society.
Governance and Implementation: Strong, participatory governance across all levels is crucial for effective delivery. Reforms should clarify responsibilities, improve coordination, and decentralize financing. Commitment to implementation must be backed by measurable targets, monitoring, and capacity building. Data and evidence are fundamental; improved land records, market studies, and demographic data—integrated with community-led insights—are needed to inform policies and respond to crises. The document calls for increased research, especially in the global south, and the use of innovative tools like artificial intelligence to strengthen evidence-based decision making.
In conclusion, the document urges a concerted, inclusive, and context-specific approach to confront the housing crisis, emphasizing rights, resilience, diversity, and effective governance to leave no one behind.
Read the full Baku Call for Action
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