Rossbach: UN-Habitat sees era of uncertainty as urban and housing crisis

UN-Habitat views the current era of global uncertainty not only as a challenge to international security but also as a crisis for cities and housing, Anaclaudia Rossbach, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said at the opening ceremony of the XIII Global Baku Forum.

According to Report, she noted that forum participants have gathered amid acute geopolitical tensions and overlapping crises, from conflicts and climate shocks to economic instability and rising distrust.

"UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that we are entering an era of increasing chaos, and the world as well as multilateral cooperation cannot be taken for granted. From UN-Habitat's perspective, this era of uncertainty is also a crisis for cities and housing," Rossbach emphasized.

She highlighted that nearly 60% of the world"s population now lives in cities, a share that will continue to grow, yet hundreds of millions remain without safe and adequate housing. More than 1 billion people live in informal settlements and slums, and in some countries, a combination of high housing costs, lack of prepared land, and climate disasters makes decent housing unattainable for too many families.

Rossbach added that UN-Habitat"s new 2026–2029 strategic plan prioritizes providing all people with adequate housing, land, and basic services.