PUTRAJAYA, May 20 (Bernama) — Malaysia has called on the international community to strengthen collective efforts and deepen cooperation to tackle the growing global housing crisis and accelerate sustainable urban development at the recent World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, who also serves as president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, delivered the call during the forum’s opening ceremony.
His address reaffirmed Malaysia’s rising leadership in advancing the global urban agenda amid intensifying geopolitical and climate challenges.
In his special address, Nga emphasised that housing is more than just infrastructure but a promise to future generations, and that the global housing crisis demands stronger multilateral cooperation, political will, and economic resilience.
“As President of the UN-Habitat Assembly, Malaysia believes no nation should face urban challenges alone.
“The world must double its efforts to localise the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said in a statement today.
Nga noted that nearly 2.8 billion people suffer from housing insecurity, and by 2040, over two billion urban dwellers will face escalating climate risks, making resilient, inclusive urban development more urgent than ever.
He also highlighted that Malaysia MADANI acts as a guiding framework for implementing the New Urban Agenda.
He shared the country’s achievements in delivering over 1.1 million affordable homes, achieving a 77 per cent homeownership rate, planting more than 115 million trees, and expanding Voluntary Local Reviews among local authorities nationwide.
He further called on world leaders to embrace “Human-Centred Urbanism” by ensuring urban planning policies focus not only on maps and infrastructure, but on the lives, dignity and aspirations of communities, particularly vulnerable groups living in informal settlements and climate-risk areas.
As Malaysia prepares to hand over the UN-Habitat Assembly presidency to the United Arab Emirates next year, Nga urged all participating nations to contribute meaningfully to the “WUF13 Call to Action,” creating a lasting global legacy for sustainable urban transformation.
The World Urban Forum is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanisation and the future of cities, convened by UN-Habitat.
It brings together policymakers, international organisations, urban planners, civil society leaders, and development partners from around the world.
— BERNAMA