UN: Territorial restoration should become platform for systemic change

The recovery process must become a platform for profound transformation, not a simple reproduction of the previous order, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, Paula Gaviria, said at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

"Reconstruction of areas affected by armed conflict should be perceived as an opportunity to address underlying systemic problems, not as an attempt to return to the pre-war state of affairs. The reconstruction process must aim to overcome inequalities and various forms of social exclusion, which often become the root causes of conflict and mass displacement," the Special Rapporteur emphasized.

Gaviria also drew attention to the importance of non-material components of the recovery process – preserving human dignity, strengthening social cohesion, and building trust between the population and state institutions.

"The main criterion for success, in her opinion, should not be the number of buildings erected, but whether displaced persons can reintegrate into society as full and equal members," she added.