Press - Launching the Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration Bold Commitments to Tackle the Housing Crisis at Metropolitan Scale (WUF13).

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.

This press conference will officially present the Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration: Metropolitan future beyond 2030, adopted on 15 October 2025 by mayors, presidents, and political representatives during the World Metropolitan Summit and the 10th anniversary of the European Metropolitan Authorities (EMA) Forum. The declaration elevates metropolitan governance as a cornerstone for addressing global challenges—housing, climate emergency, inequality, and digital transition—and for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. The focus of this session is housing. The declaration recognizes housing as a fundamental right and highlights the housing scarcity crisis affecting metropolitan areas due to globalization, mass tourism, real estate speculation, and gentrification. It notes that many households allocate an excessive share of income to housing and that homelessness remains a global issue. The declaration calls for metropolitan areas to be included in the design and implementation of all housing policies and to receive adequate support and funding. It commits metropolitan areas to implement bold housing policies that guarantee accessibility, affordability, and quality living conditions, transforming metropolises into territories of dignity, social equity, intergenerational solidarity, and shared prosperity. It also calls for stable funding mechanisms and stronger multilevel coordination. 

Objectives: 
1. Officially launch the WMS political declaration and its metropolitan governance framework. 2. Highlight the housing chapter: diagnosis, principles, and commitments. 3. Explain the call for inclusion of metropolitan areas in housing policies and for stable funding. 4. Invite stakeholders to join the post-WUF13 work agenda.
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

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