UN-Habitat Arena - Managing displacement across the humanitarian–development nexus and area-based approach (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.


Managing displacement across the humanitarian-development nexus.

Internal displacement affects more than 70 million people across 110 countries, with 58% of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in cities and informal urban settlements where displacement intersects with deficits in housing, land, services, livelihoods, and governance. While humanitarian response remains essential, it is insufficient to address protracted displacement. Durable solutions require integrated approaches that connect humanitarian action with urban development, territorial planning, and peacebuilding within the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus.

This perspective calls for a shift from population-centered responses to approaches grounded in urban systems. Territorial instruments and area-based planning emerge as key mechanisms to translate global frameworks into locally adapted solutions. Experiences from Colombia, the Central African Republic, Afghanistan, and Sudan demonstrate how housing, land, and habitat can serve as entry points for sustainable integration.

In Colombia, Habitat Management Plans (PGH), under CONPES 4180 (2025), integrate the needs of IDPs and host communities through multisectoral, area-based approaches, as seen in Maicao. Similarly, the Central African Republic's National Durable Solutions Strategy (2024-2028) prioritizes structural development through decentralized municipal platforms.

In Afghanistan, UN-Habitat's SHURA programme and ongoing urban upgrading initiatives link land allocation, housing, and tenure security to reintegration. In Sudan, interventions in cities such as Port Sudan combine spatial assessments, participatory planning, and local capacity-building to stabilize urban areas and support integration.

These experiences highlight the critical role of urban and territorial approaches in advancing durable solutions in complex displacement contexts.

Moderator: Paula Gaviria, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons
Keynote Speaker: "The Importance of an Area-Based Approach in Advancing Durable Solutions at the Local Level" Elkin Velasquez, Regional Director of UN Habitat for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Discussants and learning experiences:
1. Ms. Helga Rivas, Ministry of Housing, City and Territory of Colombia
2. Ms. Michelle Sol, Minister of Housing of El Salvador.
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

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