This outcome note captures the highlights of the 2026 GWOPA Assembly, held on 17 May 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, as part of the 13th World Urban Forum, the first time the Assembly featured within the official WUF programme. Convening members and partners at a pivotal moment for the Alliance, the Assembly took stock of 17 years of work to strengthen utility capacities, reflected on the achievements of the 2019-2025 Strategy, and shaped strategic orientations for 2026-2029 in alignment with the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan.
Water at the Heart of the Urban Agenda
Thursday 21 May, Baku, Azerbaijan
Convening at the World Urban Forum in Baku, GWOPA members and partners, UN leadership, development partners, city representatives, community advocates and financing institutions discussed the urban housing road map towards the UN 2026 Water Conference, to be convened in United Arab Emirates from 8-10 December 2026.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, 17 May 2026 – Water and sanitation operators stepped onto a wider urban stage as UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) convened its Assembly on the opening day of the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum.
Meeting in Baku and online, GWOPA members, partners, United Nations representatives and government officials focused on the people and institutions that keep water flowing, sanitation services running and cities functioning every day.
The 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities” will gather global leaders, city authorities, urban planners, civil-society actors and practitioners to shine a spotlight on the growing global housing crisis – with nearly three billion people currently living in inadequate housing – and to explore how adequate housing can become the cornerstone of inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development.