President of Uzbekistan proposes international initiatives for sustainable urban development

On May 18, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the Leaders’ Summit, held as part of the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum in Baku.

The event was also attended by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, the President of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova, the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme Anacláudia Rossbach, as well as heads of other foreign states and governments, international organizations, and financial institutions.

At the forum, participants discussed sustainable urban development, expanding access to affordable housing, improving the quality of the urban environment, strengthening climate resilience, and enhancing housing finance mechanisms.

In his address, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that the Forum’s theme, “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities”, is becoming increasingly relevant amid rapid urbanization. According to various estimates, nearly 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by the middle of the twenty-first century.

The Leader of Uzbekistan noted that accelerating urbanization is accompanied by growing social challenges. Today, around 3 billion people worldwide lack adequate housing, more than 1 billion live in informal settlements and slums, and over 300 million remain completely without housing. Climate change, geopolitical tensions, and economic crises are placing additional pressure on cities, contributing to new waves of global migration.

“In short, urbanization is becoming a critical factor directly affecting global stability and security”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted.

The President emphasized that sustainable urban development is a strategic priority for New Uzbekistan. Over the next fifteen years, the country’s population is expected to grow from 38 million to 50 million, and the urbanization rate is projected to rise from 51 to 65 percent.

In this regard, the country is implementing a large-scale program to develop urban infrastructure and housing. Over the past 10 years, the volume of annual housing construction has increased tenfold. In 2025, 238,000 residential properties were built, and by 2030, this figure will increase by another 1.5 times. Around $2 billion is allocated annually from the state budget to affordable housing programs.

To address informal housing, a separate law was adopted in 2024, under which documents for nearly 100,000 homes have already been formalized. The country is also implementing renovation programs for outdated housing to increase the share of renewed housing stock from 15 to 60 percent.

A National Committee for Urbanization has been established to coordinate these efforts.

Particular attention is being paid to the environmental sustainability of cities. As part of the “Yashil Makon” and “Clean Air” programs, Uzbekistan aims to increase urban green coverage to 30 percent by 2030.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also highlighted the mahalla institution’s important role in shaping the environment and improving the quality of life for the population.

The “New Tashkent” megaproject was presented separately and is being implemented in line with modern principles of a “green”, “smart”, “safe”, and “15-minute” city. At the first stage, investment projects totaling more than $25 billion have already begun implementation.

“Most importantly, similar projects are being implemented not only in the capital, but also across all regions of the country as part of the ‘New Uzbekistan’ residential area initiative. To date, 61 such residential areas have been built, and this number is expected to reach 100 by 2030,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted.

During his address, the President of Uzbekistan also announced several international initiatives.

In particular, the Head of State called for the broader adoption of the principles of “balanced urbanization” to ensure the harmonious development of small and medium-sized cities.

The President of Uzbekistan also initiated the creation of the international Smart and Safe Cities Alliance, which will serve as a platform for exchanging technologies, standards, and best practices for the digital transformation of urban governance.

To expand access to quality housing for young people and socially vulnerable groups, it was proposed to host an international forum in Samarkand in 2027 focused on new approaches to attracting finance and investment for housing construction.

Another initiative was the proposal to establish a UN-Habitat “Green City” international award to promote the development of environmentally sustainable cities.

The President of Uzbekistan also proposed holding the fifteenth session of the World Urban Forum in 2030 in New Tashkent under the theme “The Role of Local Communities in the Sustainable Development of Cities”.

The heads of other foreign delegations also addressed the summit.

UzA