World Urban Forum 13
© Lloyd Alozie, Unsplash
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku from May 17 to 22, 2026, bringing together governments, international organizations, urban practitioners, and civil society to exchange on key challenges and solutions for sustainable urban development.
Under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities” this year’s forum puts the global housing crisis at the center of discussions. It highlights the importance of adequate, affordable, and climate-resilient housing as a foundation for inclusive and sustainable cities. Key topics include informal settlement upgrading, housing finance, land and tenure, and the role of governance—demonstrating how closely housing is linked to broader urban systems and long-term resilience.
Germany will be represented by an official delegation, actively contributing its perspectives and experience to the global dialogue. Here, you can explore events featuring German participation and learn where and how Germany is working worldwide to promote sustainable and liveable cities. We invite you to browse this site and discover the scope of Germany’s contributions.
All events featuring German participation
TUESDAY | 19.05.2026
TUE 19.05.2026 / 12:00-01:30 PM (GMT+4)
Beyond the Hype-Where Private Finance Works for Cities-And Where It Doesnt
ORGANISER: BMZ, Asian Development Bank (ADB), UN-Habitat
TUE 19.05.2026 / 02:00-03:30 PM (GMT+4)
Housing for Recovery and Resilience - Municipal Social Housing as Sustainable Development Goals in Action
ORGANISER: GIZ
TUE 19.05.2026 / 02:00-03:30 PM (GMT+4)
Unlocking finance for urban settlement resilience to water and heat climate hazards: cases from Togo, Indonesia, Jordan
ORGANISER: European Investment Bank
TUE 19.05.2026 / 04:00-05:30 PM (GMT+4)
Climate Finance Goes Urban Financing the Transition to Resilient Cities
ORGANISER: United Nations University (UNU), European Investment Bank (EIB), World Resources Institute (WRI), Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII)
TUE 19.05.2026 / 04:00-05:30 PM (GMT+4)
Land Value for All - Advancing Housing Equity in African Cities
ORGANISER: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
WEDNESDAY | 20.05.2026
WED 20.05.2026 / 09:30 AM-11:30 AM (GMT+4)
Policies, papers, and bricks Capacity Building for Crisis Preparedness and Response
ORGANISERS: Kyiv School of Economics, United Nations Innovation Technology Accelerator for Cities (UNITAC)
WED 20.05.2026 / 09:30 AM-11:30 AM (GMT+4)
The climate-housing nexus - Can we scale climate-resilient housing without deepening inequality or displacement?
ORGANISERS: UN-Habitat
WED 20.05.2026 / 12:00-01:30 PM (GMT+4)
Catalytic funding and support for building safe, resilient and inclusive cities
ORGANISERS: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), United Nations Global Disability Fund
WED 20.05.2026 / 02:00-03:30 PM (GMT+4)
Protecting Homes, Building Resilience - Nature and Urban Services in Informal Neighbourhoods
ORGANISERS: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
WED 20.05.2026 / 02:00-03:30 PM (GMT+4)
The social and economic power of housing – how municipalities worldwide drive transformation through partnerships
ORGANISERS: German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
WED 20.05.2026 / 03:00-04:00 PM (GMT+4)
Future-proofing Urban Transformation. The IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities As a Catalyst For Action
ORGANISER: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ GmbH
WED 20.05.2026 / 04:00-05:30 PM (GMT+4)
From Definitions to Solutions: European and Global Approaches to Combat Homelessness
ORGANISERS: German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB)
Thursday | 21.05.2026
THU 21.05.2026 / 12:00-01:00 PM (GMT+4)
UN 2026 Water Conference: Urban housing roadmap
ORGANISER: Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA)
THU 21.05.2026 / 12:00-01:30 PM (GMT+4)
Is the housing of tomorrow in line with the SDGs of today - How localization strategies help to bring us back on track
ORGANISER: German Institute of Urban Affairs
FRIDAY | 22.05.2026
FRI 22.05.2026 / 12:00-01:30 PM (GMT+4)
Just Transitions in Practice. Co-Creating Digital Tools for Informality and Crisis
ORGANISER: HafenCity University; UNITAC
Contact
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, please email us at wuf@giz.de