KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — Malaysia has launched the Asia Pacific Urban Agenda Platform (AP-UAP) at the opening of the Malaysia Pavilion during the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in regional cooperation by transitioning from fragmented discussions towards a structured, action-oriented mechanism.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, who is also the president of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly, said the AP-UAP is vital for transforming urban efforts across the Asia-Pacific into a collective and structured ecosystem, enabling faster implementation from policy to action.
“Born from a strategic partnership between the Malaysian government and UN-Habitat, this platform is more than an initiative, it is a mission. It unites like-minded Member States to embed the New Urban Agenda (NUA) into the very fabric of national development in all countries,” he said at the launch.
The key points of his speech were later shared on his Facebook today.
Developed through a collaboration between Urbanice Malaysia and UN-Habitat, the AP-UAP will function as a strategic regional mechanism to strengthen cooperation, accelerate the implementation of the NUA, and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across 58 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The ceremony also witnessed the launch of Think City’s latest publication, “Housing the Poor: Malaysia’s Journey from Slums to Resilient Communities”, which documents the country’s five-decade journey in advancing public housing innovation and social infrastructure for vulnerable communities that has seen the national home ownership rate surge to 77 per cent now.
Available in both digital and physical formats, the publication highlights Malaysia’s urban planning evolution, public housing policies, community-driven development approaches and efforts to build more inclusive, resilient, and people-centred cities.
Also present at the ceremony was the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei.
Earlier, at the WUF13 press conference, Nga shared that the global housing crisis is affecting nearly 2.8 billion people worldwide, warning that rapid urbanisation, climate stress, and widening inequalities require urgent and coordinated global action.
Emphasising that urbanisation is not merely about statistics but about human lives and dignity, he called for renewed commitment to the NUA and accelerated progress towards achieving the SDGs.
“Let us commit to Human-Centred Urbanism, and work collectively to bridge the estimated USD5.4 trillion annual financing gap for climate-resilient infrastructure,” he said.
He added that as Malaysia prepares to hand over the UN-Habitat Presidency to the UAE and take up a seat on the UN-Habitat Executive Board next year, stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to the WUF13 Call to Action to ensure a meaningful and inspirational legacy document.
Nga also thanks the Government of Azerbaijan for hosting WUF13 and highlighted key messages from global leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, underscoring the urgency of strengthening multilateral cooperation to address global urban challenges.
Reflecting on Malaysia’s national progress, he highlighted key achievements under the MADANI Government, including the delivery of over 1.1 million affordable homes and the planting of more than 115 million trees nationwide as part of the government’s commitment towards the 2030 SDG agenda.
WUF13, co-organised by UN-Habitat and the Government of Azerbaijan from May 17 to 22 under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities”, brings together more than 30,000 participants from 180 countries to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and strengthen global cooperation in addressing urban challenges. — Bernama
Date: 19 May, 2026 12:00 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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