WUF13

WUF13

WUF13 discusses housing crisis and injustices caused by colonial governance - PHOTO

19 May 2026 14:09 (UTC +04:00)

On May 19, within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), an event titled “Injustices and Housing Crisis Caused by Colonial Governance” was held by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), APA reports.

During the event, which began with an opening speech by Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group Abbas Abbasov, participants discussed the socio-economic impacts of colonial and neocolonial governance, structural inequalities arising in urbanization processes, existing challenges in the field of housing provision, as well as the effects of these problems on local populations.

During the discussions organized within the framework of the event, speeches were delivered by Mariam Sayed Mohamed Abdelsalam, member of the UN Youth Advisory Council; Jean-Pierre Jose Martin, President of the International Reparations Movement; Byron-Cox Richard Anthony Beresford, adviser to the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Finies Kristan Tyee Eugene, youth representative of the Bonaire Human Rights Organization; Moroccan legal adviser Bouinzal Nohaila; Umuhoza Natete Verite, Operations Director of Global Family Media and Board Member of the Rwanda Gender Media Council; and Merna Suhail Issa Alzurikat, Jordanian adviser to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

They stated that the concept of justice is one of the fundamental pillars of human society and that the social inequalities created by colonialism continue to remain a serious challenge for the world today.

The speakers noted that the housing problem is not only an economic issue, but also the result of historical injustices and colonial policies. No housing policy can be fair if people do not control their land, institutions, and collective future.