Patrick Canagasingham, Director of the UN-Habitat Regional Programme Division, visited Hon. Makoto ONIKI, Chairman of Japan Parliamentarians on Habitat, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), together with Ms. Ishigaki and Ms. Hoshino. He expressed gratitude for the support to date and cooperation with the 13th World Urban Forum held this month, reiterated our strategic priorities until 2029, and requested continued support for UN-Habitat.

atrick Canagasingham, Director of the UN-Habitat Regional Programme Division, visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and met with Mr. Hideyuki Shiomi, Vice-Minister for Infrastructure. Mr. Canagasingham expressed his gratitude to Vice Minister Shiomi for representing the Japanese Government at the 13th World Urban Forum held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 17-22 May, and requested continued support for UN-Habitat.

Patrick Canagasingham, Director of the UN-Habitat Regional Programme Division, visited Fukuoka for the first time since assuming his post in April. He held a strategic meeting with ROAP staff to discuss future plans. Although his visit was brief, lasting only one day, lively discussions took place.

The 13th World Urban Forum has concluded. UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific leaves Baku with renewed resolve, and a clear mandate. Over seven days, our team engaged in bilateral meetings with partners in Asia and the Pacific, each exchange strengthening the relationships that underpin our regional work. We convened and contributed to sessions on informal settlement regularization, SDG delivery platforms, the Asia Pacific Urban Agenda Platform, sinking cities, human mobility, small island developing states, housing at scale, and One UN housing approaches. We formalized a new partnership with the Asian Development Bank, a commitment to financing inclusive urban development at the scale our region urgently needs.

But beyond the sessions and agreements, WUF13 reminded us of what drives this work: the communities whose futures depend on better urban policy, from coastal villages in the Pacific threatened by rising seas, to informal neighbourhoods in South and Southeast Asia seeking secure land and services.

Asia and the Pacific is the world’s most urbanizing region. Its cities must be just, resilient, and sustainable, not only for the region, but as a model for the world. That is UN-Habitat ROAP’s commitment. And WUF13 has sharpened our resolve to deliver on it. Thank you to the Government of Azerbaijan and the City of Baku for hosting this extraordinary forum.

The 14th World Urban Forum will be held in Mexico City. We look forward to seeing everyone in Mexico next time!

At the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach held a bilateral meeting with Hon. Isao Kurauchi, Chairperson of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly (Japan) and President of the World Veterinary Association. The ED welcomed Fukuoka’s participation in WUF13 and expressed appreciation for his continued engagement, support, and collaboration through One Health initiatives. The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on building sustainable and resilient cities through the One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment.

UN-Habiva ROAP co-hosted the networking event “Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Urban Green Transformation (GX) for Sustainable Urban Development” at the World Urban Forum. The event was hosted by the City Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and Ms. Sachiyo Hoshino, Special Adviser to the RD, served as moderator. Speakers and speakers from Brazil, India and Malaysia exchanged insights on TOD, urban green transformation, and pathways toward sustainable urban development. It also highlighed the upcoming Green EXPO, which will be held in Yokohama, Japan in March 2027.

UN-Habitat ROAP co-organized the networking event “Spatial Planning Platform: National Spatial Policies for Building Sustainable Regions through Flows of People” with the National Spatial Planning and Regional Policy Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) at the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13).

Speakers from various countries discussed initiatives and challenges for building sustainable and inclusive regions. In the closing remarks, Regional Director, Ms. Ishigaki emphasized that ensuring balanced spatial development is a human rights challenge that assures equal access to opportunity, and highlighted the importance of national and regional spatial planning. She also encouraged　 broader participation in the Spatial Planning Platform (SPP).

At WUF13, Pacific leaders and partners came together to reaffirm a shared commitment to sustainable, resilient, and climate-responsive urban development across the Blue Pacific.

Building on the outcomes of PUF7 in Port Moresby, discussions highlighted the urgent need to strengthen urban governance, invest in resilience and infrastructure, and elevate the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in global urban and climate agendas.

Representatives from Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Fiji joined partners from UN-Habitat, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum to advance a more resilient urban future for the Pacific.

At the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 17 to 22 May 2026, Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Hideyuki Shiomi, Vice-Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan.

The ED welcomed Japan’s participation in WUF13 and expressed appreciation for the country’s continued engagement and strong support for UN-Habitat. The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on continued cooperation toward sustainable and inclusive urban development especially in housing and land management challenges.

With more than 15 Ministers and Vice Ministers from across Asia Pacific region participating at the thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), the New Urban Agenda Ministerial Meeting demonstrated Asia and the Pacific’s growing leadership in shaping the global urban agenda, not only contributing to the conversation, but actively driving it forward.

17 May 2026 was marked by the Flag Raising Ceremony and ministerial statements, as well as bilateral exchanges with national delegations of Pakistan, Cambodia and Iran. These moments reaffirm why global forums like WUF13 matter: urban challenges cannot be addressed in silos. Real progress happens through dialogue, partnership, and shared commitment across governments, civil society, academia, and international organizations.

Ms. Ishigaki participated in a panel discussion at the Inaugural Symposium for the University of Tokyo Center for Housing and Urban Regeneration, titled “Transforming Places: Towards Urban and Suburban Regeneration in Non-Metropolitan Regions.”

After introducing the challenges of urbanization and secondary cities in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly the gap between primary cities and secondary cities, Ms. Ishigaki emphasized that reducing these gaps through regional planning for spatially balanced development is crucial as a means of ensuring equal opportunities and improving the well-being for all citizens.