More than 1,300 delegates, including ministers, city mayors, urban planners, innovators, donors, campaigners, and entrepreneurs, atended the meeting.

   Held every four years, the assembly is the world’s highest decision-making body on sustainable urbanization and human settlement, composed of 193 UN member states.

   Kenyan President William Ruto hailed the consensus-based adoption of the United Nations Human Settlements Program’s (UN-Habitat) Strategic Plan 2026-2029, saying it will guide the establishment of climate-smart and inclusive cities in the future.

 «The adoption of this strategic plan reaffirms our commitment to urban renew althroug the quitable and adequate access to housing,» Ruto said, urging UN member states to establish global champions for affordable housing.

   Besides adopting the strategic plan for tackling the global housing crisis, the two-day meeting elected a new presidency of the assembly to be shared by Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2025 to 2029 along side 36 members of the Executive Board of the UN-Habitat.

   During the assembly, it was also announced that the 13th session of the World Urban Forum will be held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on May 17-22, 2026, under the theme «Housing the world: Safe and resilientcities and communities.»

   The UN-Habitat’s strategic plan seeks to boost access to housing, land, and basic services, such as clean drinking water and sanitation, aligning with the global quest for converting cities into hubs for green innovation, prosperity, and resilience.

   Ana Claudia Rossbach, executive director of the UN-Habitat, said the plan is rooted in the bold vision of transforming cities throug hup grading informal settlements, improving land governance, accelerating climate action, and eradicating poverty.

   Rossbach stressed that political good will, innovative financing, partnerships, and targeted use of technology will be key to hastening the implementation of the strategic plan, ensuring that urbanization is both resilient and sustainable.

   It wa sindicated duringthe meeting that the strategy presents a solid blueprint for realizing urban renew althrough increase daccess to decent shelter, safe drinking water, sanitation, and waste management.