Saturday October 25, 2025
Nairobi (HOL) - Somalia and Azerbaijan have been elected
co-chairs of the Bureau of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group for
2025–2026, established under the 2023 UN-Habitat Assembly resolution “Adequate
Housing for All.”
The second session (OEWG-H2) of the Working Group was held
on October 23 at the UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, with Azerbaijan
and Somalia taking over the positions previously held by Kenya and France.
The Intergovernmental Working Group serves as the
secretariat of the UN-Habitat Assembly, developing recommendations,
coordinating the activities of member states, and facilitating the formulation
and implementation of global policies aimed at ensuring safe, sustainable, and
affordable housing for all.
Somalia’s co-chairmanship in the Bureau will play an
important role in strengthening the country’s involvement in global urban
development initiatives and advancing international housing policy. This
high-level mandate also provides a platform to promote the initiatives and
outcomes of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), which will be held in Baku on
May 17–22, 2026, under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities
and Communities.”
Cooperation between UN-Habitat and Somalia in the field of
sustainable urban development has been growing steadily in recent years.
UN-Habitat is the United Nations agency responsible for
promoting socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements and
adequate shelter for all. As the focal point for urbanization within the UN
system, it works to build inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities
and communities around the world.
The achievement comes as Somalia continues its journey of
state-building and economic recovery. The international community’s
endorsement, as evidenced by this election, signifies recognition of the
tangible progress being made in governance, security, and the rule of law.