Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us.

Today, at the 13th World Urban Forum here in Baku, the Faith Pavilion is pleased to release the Faith Pavilion Call to Action on Housing – a global multi-faith statement bringing together faith leaders, humanitarian organizations, urban practitioners, and civil society partners around a shared commitment to address the global housing crisis.

The theme of this year’s World Urban Forum is “Housing the World: Safe 
and Resilient Cities and Communities.” This theme could not be more timely. Across the world, billions of people are affected by inadequate housing, rising costs, displacement, informal settlements, climate impacts, and deepening inequality.

Housing is not simply about buildings or shelter. Housing is foundational to human dignity, family stability, public health, economic opportunity, social cohesion, and community flourishing. Safe, secure, affordable, and dignified housing is one of the basic conditions for people and communities to thrive.

This Call to Action recognizes that faith communities have an important role to play. Around the world, faith communities are deeply rooted in neighborhoods and cities. They bring trusted relationships, moral leadership, land and property assets, volunteer networks, financial resources, and long-standing commitments to serve vulnerable communities.

At the same time, this statement is not a claim that faith communities can act alone. The global housing crisis requires stronger collaboration among governments, faith communities, civil society organizations, financial institutions, urban practitioners, local communities, and the private sector.

Together, we can expand access to affordable housing, support informal settlement upgrading, promote climate-resilient and ecologically responsible development, strengthen social cohesion and local stewardship, and advance human-scale, inclusive, and sustainable placemaking.

This Call to Action is therefore not only a statement of concern. It is an invitation to partnership and practical action. It calls faith communities and public institutions to work together so that housing policy, land use, finance, infrastructure, and community life serve human dignity and the common good.

We invite organizations, institutions, and leaders to review and endorse the statement, join the growing multi-faith movement for housing justice, and participate in implementation conversations beyond WUF13.

We are not asking for a parallel agenda. We are asking to help deliver a shared agenda: safe housing, resilient cities, and flourishing communities for all.

Thank you.