Global Alliance for Care Brought the Care Agenda to WUF13 in Baku
Through strategic dialogues and collective advocacy, the Alliance advanced a transformative vision of care as essential infrastructure for more just, inclusive, and sustainable cities.
The Global Alliance for Care participated in the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, advancing the global care agenda through policy discussions, strategic dialogues, and collective advocacy efforts aimed at building more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities.
Aligned with the Forum’s theme, “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities,” the Alliance contributed to conversations on housing, feminist urbanism, care infrastructure, and local governance, highlighting the importance of placing care at the center of urban and territorial development as a foundation for equality, well-being, and the sustainability of life.
At the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, the Alliance emphasized the essential role of care in sustaining cities and communities. “Care sustains our cities every single day. If local governments truly place people at the center, then care must also be placed at the center of urban governance, public investment, and territorial development,” the Technical Secretary of the Global Alliance for Care, Ana Moreno, highlighted during the Assembly. “Care is what sustains sustainable development.” The Alliance also emphasized that care policies are fundamental to promoting housing justice, gender equality, social cohesion, decent work, and more inclusive urban futures.
Throughout the Forum, the Alliance brought together members from its network of more than 350 local and national governments, civil society organizations, academia, trade unions, and international organizations to exchange experiences and strengthen collaboration around public policies that support caring societies while recognizing care as essential infrastructure.
During the Forum, the Alliance participated in several key sessions and engagements. On Monday, 18 May, Alliance members gathered for a strategic exchange aimed at strengthening collaboration and promoting collective advocacy around care-centered urban transformation.
On Wednesday, 20 May, it supported the session “Housing as Care Infrastructure – Reframing Planning, Housing and Everyday Care,” organized by the Marmara Municipalities Union and United Cities and Local Governments. The discussion explored how housing and urban planning policies can strengthen care systems, reduce inequalities, and foster more inclusive urban development.
Participants discussed issues such as care-oriented planning, neighborhood-based services, the mobility of care, and the role of local governments in integrating care into housing and territorial policies. The session also highlighted how proximity-based planning and care-centered housing approaches can contribute to reducing time poverty and strengthening social inclusion, particularly for women and marginalized communities.
Also on Wednesday, the session “Feminist and Caring Cities: Care Infrastructures and Housing in Territories of Inequality,” organized by the Red Mujer y Hábitat de América Latina, examined urban inequalities and housing from a feminist and care-centered perspective.On Thursday, 21 May, the Alliance co-organized the session “Using Evidence to Build Caring Cities: Scaling Care Blocks across Africa and Latin America,” together with the International Development Research Centre. The discussion showcased experiences such as Bogotá’s Care Blocks and other initiatives across Latin America and Africa that are advancing care as public urban infrastructure through local leadership, community participation, and South–South cooperation.
The session also explored how feminist urbanism, public investment, and multilateral cooperation could contribute to scaling integrated care systems and transforming care from a private responsibility into a collective and public commitment. Speakers highlighted the importance of connecting lived experiences, community leadership, and urban policy in building caring cities.
Looking ahead to the 14th World Urban Forum, to be held in Mexico City in 2028, the Alliance announced plans to organize a Care Pavilion to continue advancing care-centered urban transformation while connecting global advocacy with local action. Launched in Mexico within the framework of the Generation Equality Forum, the Alliance underscored the symbolic importance of holding WUF14 in a city that has demonstrated global leadership in placing care at the center of territorial policy and urban development.
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