The Government of Moscow Takes Part in 13th Session of the World Urban Forum
The Forum took place in Baku from May 17 to 22, 2026. Convened by UN‑Habitat every two years, it is one of the key international platforms for sustainable urban development, housing policy, and urbanization. This year, more than 53,000 participants joined the Forum’s events both online and in person, including representatives of government authorities, city administrations, businesses, academia, and UN agencies. Moscow presented its approaches to sustainable development, integrated urban renewal, digitalization, and international cooperation in urban planning.
The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow organized a session on the Forum’s sidelines titled “Bridges of Cooperation: In Search of Best Solutions for Sustainable Housing and Viable Cities.” The discussion brought together participants from Russia, Brazil, Turkey, Malaysia, UN‑Habitat, and ESCAP. The platform united the experience of major world metropolises – Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Kuala Lumpur, and İzmir – along with international organizations working on sustainable urban development. Tatyana Naumova, Deputy Head of DVMIS, noted the growing role of megacities on the global agenda. Cities are becoming centers of economic growth, technological innovation, and humanitarian cooperation. The exchange of concrete, proven, and replicable solutions takes place both at the national level and between cities. “Today, the Russian capital maintains active cooperation with approximately 150 cities and regions around the world. We have more than 200 agreements and programmes in place,” Tatyana Naumova emphasized. These documents serve as practical tools for implementing concrete projects in industry, investment, transport, urban planning, science, culture, and education.
As the Deputy Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations reported, Moscow is developing international cooperation both on the basis of bilateral partnerships and in the format of multilateral engagement with international organizations. The capital consistently works with partners in the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS member states, as well as UN bodies and global city associations. Such platforms help advance the interests of megacities and shape new approaches to sustainable development.
Moscow is strengthening cooperation with UN‑Habitat. The goal of creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and green cities is vital for the entire global community. At global platforms, the Russian capital presents its best projects in sustainable urban development, including the housing renovation programme, transport system modernization, and the implementation of smart technologies. “Our projects serve as a benchmark for the entire country and compete successfully with the best practices of world capitals. Moscow adheres to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the national development objectives of the Russian Federation,” noted Tatyana Naumova.
Sustainable housing is one of the key priorities of the international community and an important area of work for the Government of Moscow. Moscow’s renovation programme has become one of the world’s largest housing renewal projects. It affects about one million Muscovites and provides for the relocation of more than 5,000 buildings. Moscow’s renovation programme was selected by UN‑Habitat experts for inclusion in the Forum’s Best Practices Centre, which served as a dedicated space to showcase proven and scalable housing solutions from around the world. The project is also featured in an online knowledge repository, enriching the UN‑Habitat database and remaining accessible to specialists worldwide.
As part of the Forum, Department for External Economic and International Relations, together with the Russian Association for the UN, organized a session titled “Urban Transformation in Moscow and Russian Cities: An Integrated Approach to Housing Policy, Climate Action and Social Inclusion.” The event aimed to present the practices and initiatives of Russian cities and regions in housing policy, climate adaptation, urban mobility, digitalization, and social inclusion.
Moscow’s position was also presented in a session with partners from Urbanice Malaysia – the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable City Development and Well‑being under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia. The main topic of the discussion, “Bridging the Gap through City‑Led SDG Implementation Platforms,” focused on the need for and mechanisms to reduce gaps between set goals and actual results. In her remarks, the Deputy Head of DVMIS emphasized the cross‑sectoral and integrated approach to implementing the sustainable urban development agenda in Moscow.
Moscow not only implements new practices but also evaluates the effectiveness of existing solutions. In April this year, the Government of Moscow and UN‑Habitat signed an agreement to prepare a review of Moscow’s achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The document will allow the international community to see the results of the capital’s work across all areas of urban life in sustainable development.
A number of meetings were held on the Forum’s sidelines aimed at strengthening international partnerships. Representatives of the Moscow delegation, as part of the Russian delegation led by Nikita Stasishin, Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation, met with Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN‑Habitat. At the meeting, the Deputy Head of DVMIS emphasized Moscow’s readiness to share best practices in various sectors and to expand cooperation with UN‑Habitat. Anacláudia Rossbach highly appreciated the projects implemented by Moscow and the potential for promoting the capital’s experience among cities worldwide.
Moscow’s participation in the World Urban Forum demonstrated to the international community that the sustainable development agenda is integrated directly into the governance system of the Russian capital. The metropolis prioritizes improving the quality of life for Muscovites and creating comfortable, modern infrastructure. The effectiveness of this approach is evidenced by the achievements that Moscow presented at the Forum. In addition, the events and meetings held at the Forum allowed the capital to strengthen cooperation with cities, international organizations, and the expert community. Technical support for the organization of the visit was provided by the Moscow Centre for International Cooperation.