The IOC in Baku highlighted the role of sport in planning healthier and more inclusive cities
Laura Chinchilla, member of the International Olympic Committee and former President of Costa Rica, represented the IOC at the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku, where representatives of governments, cities, international organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector gathered around one of today’s most difficult development issues: the global housing crisis. The forum was held from 17 to 22 May 2026 in the capital of Azerbaijan, and its central theme was “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities”. According to UN-Habitat, the United Nations programme for human settlements, the discussions in Baku focused on how to connect safe, affordable and resilient housing with climate adaptation, urban planning, financing, public spaces and the inclusion of local communities. Within that framework, the IOC sought to emphasize that sport is not only a competitive or recreational activity, but also a tool of urban policy that can contribute to health, social connectedness and safer use of public space.
In a video message to forum participants, Chinchilla, according to the IOC’s announcement, called on cities, international partners and local communities to cooperate in creating healthier, more inclusive and more resilient urban environments through sport. Her message fitted into the broader approach of the IOC and UN-Habitat, which view sport, physical activity and active recreation as part of sustainable urban development. Such an approach is particularly relevant in cities that are simultaneously facing population growth, pressure on housing, a lack of high-quality green and public areas, climate risks and increasingly pronounced social inequalities. In Baku, the IOC thus took part in a debate that goes beyond sports infrastructure and enters the area of public health, social cohesion and long-term city planning.
A global forum at a time of accelerated urbanization
The World Urban Forum is the largest global gathering dedicated to sustainable urbanization, and it is organized by UN-Habitat. According to the official WUF13 website, the edition in Baku brought together participants from 176 countries, with a reported reach of 58,000 participants in person and online. The programme was structured around six main dialogues dealing with the global housing crisis, the transformation of informal settlements and slums, recovery after crises, the relationship between climate and housing, the social and economic power of housing, and new financing models. UN-Habitat emphasized that the forum is being held halfway through the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, an international framework adopted in 2016 to guide the development of cities towards greater inclusiveness, safety, resilience and sustainability.
In reports on the forum, the United Nations state that the housing crisis can no longer be viewed merely as a problem of individual poorer countries or rapidly growing cities. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a message to participants, said that housing directly affects people’s health, education and life opportunities, and emphasized that access to adequate housing is a matter of human dignity. The President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, according to a UN report, warned that simply building more apartments is not enough if it is not connected with infrastructure, climate resilience, urban planning, financing and the participation of local communities. Such a framework explains why, alongside the topics of housing construction and financing, the forum also included discussions about public spaces, local governance, health, safety and social inclusion.
Why housing has become a central development issue
According to UN-Habitat estimates, more than 2.8 billion people live in some form of inadequate housing. This figure includes around 1.1 billion people in informal settlements and slums, and more than 300 million people who face homelessness. In the background paper for WUF13, UN-Habitat warns that rapid urbanization will further intensify the pressure, as around 68 percent of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050. The consequences of the crisis do not end with the lack of a roof over one’s head: inadequate housing is linked to poorer health, fewer educational and economic opportunities, insecurity, exposure to climate risks and political instability.
The UN office in Geneva reported that around 1.5 million people move to cities every week, while almost 90 percent of future urban growth will be concentrated in Africa and Asia. In developing countries, according to the same source, more than 30 percent of urban residents live in slums and neighbourhoods without adequate infrastructure. For this reason, the discussions in Baku focused on the broader systems that determine the quality of life in cities: access to water and sanitation, safe public transport, green areas, schools, health services, protection from extreme weather events and legal security of tenure. In such a context, sport can be important only if it is incorporated into a comprehensive city policy, and not if it is reduced to isolated projects or large facilities that are not accessible to residents.
Chinchilla: sport as part of urban policies
Laura Chinchilla spoke at the forum from the perspective of the IOC, but also as a politician with experience in national leadership. According to her IOC profile, she has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2019, and since 2026 she has also served as the IOC’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations. In her earlier work within the IOC, she was involved in matters of public affairs, social development through sport, communications, ethics and the election of members. That role is important because in recent years the IOC has increasingly sought to connect sport with the Sustainable Development Goals, local communities and partnerships with United Nations organizations.
According to the IOC’s report from WUF13, Chinchilla told participants that sport can help cities respond to some of their biggest challenges. The emphasis was not on sport as a replacement for housing, social or infrastructure policies, but on sport as a complement that can strengthen public health, access to spaces and a sense of belonging. Azerbaijan’s Trend agency reported that Chinchilla highlighted that including sport in urban policies and planning can strengthen health and well-being, create safer and more inclusive public spaces and encourage solidarity in the community. Such messages follow the direction in which the IOC presents itself through the Olympism365 programme, where sport, physical activity and active recreation are described as possible drivers of quality of life, reduction of inequalities, environmental sustainability and peace in cities.
Sport does not solve the housing crisis, but it can shape everyday life in the city
The role of sport in the housing debate may at first glance seem secondary, but it becomes clearer when housing is viewed as part of a broader urban system. Adequate housing does not mean only a physical structure, but also a safe environment, access to basic services, connection with jobs, schools and healthcare, and the possibility of using public spaces without fear and exclusion. Well-designed sports grounds, parks, school playgrounds, walking and cycling paths, and neighbourhood recreation areas can improve the daily life of residents, especially children, young people, older people and groups that are often excluded from formal activities. That is why sport in urban planning is increasingly connected with public health, violence prevention, gender equality, access to space and an active lifestyle.
At the same time, such an approach also carries clear limitations. Sports infrastructure cannot make up for the lack of affordable housing, secure ownership or rental arrangements, basic communal infrastructure and effective financing. If sports and recreation projects are planned without residents, they can become inaccessible, unsustainable or linked to pressure on property prices in the surrounding area. That is precisely why the messages from Baku emphasize integrated planning: public spaces and sports facilities should be part of a policy that simultaneously protects the right to housing, strengthens resilience to climate risks and includes communities in decision-making. Otherwise, sports projects may remain a symbolic addition, instead of becoming a real contribution to quality of life.
Partnership between the IOC and UN-Habitat
The IOC and UN-Habitat cooperate in promoting sport for sustainable urban development. According to an IOC announcement from 2023, the two organizations announced cooperation aimed at encouraging physical activity in urban environments and highlighting the importance of sport for the sustainable development of cities and the well-being of residents. This cooperation was later presented through the Sport for Sustainable Urban Development initiative, linked to efforts to include sport in local development policies, public spaces and community programmes. The IOC has also participated in previous editions of the World Urban Forum in discussions on how sport can be a catalyst for sustainable urban growth and for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level.
The Olympism365 programme further shows how the IOC wants to position sport outside the narrow framework of Olympic competitions. The programme description states that the IOC, in cooperation with the United Nations, civil society and local authorities, seeks to integrate sport, physical activity and active recreation into urban environments as a factor of sustainable development. This includes the themes of health, quality of life, reduction of gender and social inequalities, environmental protection and peacebuilding. In cities struggling with overcrowding, informal settlements and a shortage of safe public spaces, such goals can make sense only if they are connected with local needs and accessible to residents regardless of age, income or social status.
Baku as a place for discussing the cities of the future
Hosting the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku also had a political and symbolic dimension. The official WUF13 website presented Baku as a city that connects heritage and contemporary development, while Azerbaijani authorities highlighted the forum as confirmation of the country’s role in international urbanization processes. The UN office in Geneva reported that Azerbaijan and Somalia are, in the period 2025 and 2026, co-chairs of UN-Habitat’s intergovernmental working group for the resolution “Adequate Housing for All”, which coordinates the efforts of Member States and develops global recommendations on safe, sustainable and affordable housing. This linked the housing topic in Baku with formal processes within the United Nations system.
The forum was also held in circumstances that themselves recalled the importance of climate resilience. According to a UN report, Baku and the Absheron Peninsula recorded 103 millimetres of rain on 17 May, which amounted to 523 percent of the average monthly total for May, and heavy rainfall lasted for nine hours. Due to the severe weather, the World Leaders Summit and several other events were moved from the Olympic Stadium to the Baku Convention Centre, while the opening of the large Urban Expo was postponed. This fact further emphasized one of the forum’s key messages: housing and urban policy must take into account climate extremes, infrastructure resilience and the ability of cities to protect residents in crisis conditions.
From major events to neighbourhood spaces
The discussion about the role of sport in cities is often linked to major sports events and stadiums, but the messages from WUF13 point to a different emphasis. In the context of the housing crisis and urban inequalities, the more important question is how sports and recreational facilities function in the everyday life of neighbourhoods. Cities that develop a network of accessible playgrounds, parks, open school spaces, safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists, and recreation programmes can reduce barriers to participation and encourage healthier habits. Such facilities are especially important in densely populated neighbourhoods, where residents often do not have private spaces for rest, play and movement.
For the IOC, this topic is important because it shows how the Olympic Movement is trying to connect its social role with local development, and not only with the organization of competitions. For UN-Habitat, it is important because it views housing as the centre of urban life, but not as an isolated policy. An apartment, street, school, park, sports ground, public transport and local government form a connected system. When any of these elements is missing, quality of life declines and inequalities grow. The message that Chinchilla conveyed in Baku can therefore be summarized in the idea that sport makes sense as part of a broader urban plan: close to residents, accessible to everyone and focused on health, safety and togetherness.
The broader significance of the message from Baku
WUF13 did not bring a simple solution to the global housing crisis, nor could it have done so. The scale of the problem, according to UN-Habitat data, shows that coordinated policies are needed in housing, land, financing, basic services, climate adaptation and local governance. But the IOC’s participation and Laura Chinchilla’s message broadened the discussion towards the question of what kind of cities should be built alongside housing units themselves. If housing is understood as the foundation of a dignified life, then public spaces, sport and recreation must also be viewed as part of the conditions for a healthy, safe and inclusive city.
This is precisely where two themes that are often viewed separately meet: the right to an adequate home and the right to quality everyday life in the community. The discussions in Baku showed that the global housing crisis requires concrete responses, from financing affordable housing to the renewal of informal settlements and protection from climate risks. In that picture, sport is not the main instrument, but it can be an important ally if it is planned responsibly, accessibly and together with the people who will use those spaces.
Sources:
- International Olympic Committee – announcement on the role of sport and Laura Chinchilla’s appearance at the World Urban Forum in Baku (link)
- UN-Habitat / WUF13 – official page of the 13th World Urban Forum, theme, programme and key areas of discussion (link)
- United Nations Office at Geneva – report on the housing crisis and the opening of the World Urban Forum in Baku (link)
- UN-Habitat – background paper “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities” for WUF13 (link)
- International Olympic Committee – profile of Laura Chinchilla and her functions in the IOC (link)
- International Olympic Committee – Olympism365 programme on urban sport and social good (link)
- International Olympic Committee – announcement on cooperation between the IOC and UN-Habitat to promote sport for urban development (link)
- Trend News Agency – report on Laura Chinchilla’s message about sport in urban policies at WUF13 (link)