UN-Habitat renews call for sustainable urbanization in Global South

A new roadmap for strengthening the resilience of rapidly growing cities in the Global South amid multiple challenges should be implemented through consensus among key stakeholders, a senior official from the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) said Tuesday.



UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach noted that the Global South is the new epicenter of rapid urbanization, hence the need to establish policy and regulatory safeguards required to ensure cities are green and livable.



She said urbanization in the developing world has been accompanied by many challenges, such as the growth of informal settlements, poverty and inequality, segregation, and lack of access to basic services.



According to Rossbach, if managed well, urbanization could unleash growth, innovation, and social transformation in Africa, Latin America, and Asia that are projected to host the world's largest urban population by 2050.



The UN-Habitat official made the remarks during a media briefing on the 13th session of World Urban Forum, scheduled in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2026, under the theme of "Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities."