Cairo to host World Urban Forum (WUF12) on Nov. 4-8

Amid significant global momentum, Egypt is set to welcome delegations and high-profile officials from various countries for the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12). The event shall be organised by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, and the Ministry of Local Development from November 4 to 8.

The forum is one of the most prominent global events within the United Nations agenda, on urbanisation and sustainable urban development.

This worldwide event underlines Egypt’s strategic position as the first African country to host the forum in 20 years.

Egypt is a regional and worldwide leader in development and peace. It prioritises urban growth. It was one of the first countries to adopt the new urban agenda, as seen by the high number of urban development initiatives, such as new 4G cities, as well as efforts to enhance quality of life, such as the “Decent Life” initiative and the project to eliminate slums.

In addition, the country achieved exceptional progress in infrastructure and utilities such as water, sewage, electricity, and other critical projects, which have had a significant influence on residents’ lives, improving the country’s position in many international metrics.

The 12th World Urban Forum shall be held at a time when the global multilateral system is experiencing unprecedented challenges, jeopardising joint development and aggravating common problems.

The forum provides a rare chance to reinvigorate and boost global collaboration while also reaching an agreement on an action plan for the future.

The event will be held only five years before the deadline for completing the 2030 Agenda. The forum is thus an excellent opportunity to highlight the role of local action in preserving multilateral cooperation and the sustainable development goals, as well as resolving pressing issues such as housing availability, ease of movement, safe water supply, access to safe public spaces, the effects of climate change, urban crises and conflicts.

The forum will include approximately 500 activities, an urban exhibition, and Cairo Urban Week. All proceedings will be broadcast in the UN official languages as well as sign language.

The Egyptian government will hold a special activity to highlight the Egyptian comprehensive development experiment to improve the quality of life for all citizens, as well as to review progress in the green transformation, advance comprehensive and sustainable recovery, and implement the national climate change strategy.

The 12th World Urban Forum will focus on forming strong alliances to implement the New Urban Agenda and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing major global challenges such as the global housing crisis and climate change, and confronting the complexities of sustainable urban development. It will also cover crucial partnership techniques for connecting global aspirations to local reality, as well as the value of collaboration in fostering local progress among various stakeholders.

The UN Human Settlements Dialogues, moderated by global thought leaders and experts, shall feature interactive discussions that highlight opportunities for a renewed social contract that balances housing rights and social justice, as well as the importance of local adaptation, mitigation, and resilience to ensure that urban areas thrive in the face of unprecedented climate conditions.

The forum will explore the importance of financial empowerment, including the mechanisms required to ensure easy access to resources at the local level to support sustainable development and localisation, as well as the use of technology to improve individuals’ quality of life and build safe homes in the face of destruction and displacement. It will aim to solve critical concerns such as providing cheap homes for everybody and developing informal settlements.

All sessions will guarantee gender parity, regional representation, age inclusiveness, stakeholders and perspectives diversity.

The World Urban Forum 2024 will be more than just a conversation; it will also be a call for creative ideas and best practices, as well as an invitation for participants to drive local transformation and change. So far, almost 6,500 people from 160 countries have registered to attend the Forum.

It is worth mentioning that the United Nations founded the World Urban Forum in 2001 as the first global conference on sustainable urbanisation, with the goal of studying the effects of increasing urbanisation on cities, communities, economies, and climate change. Since its founding, cities throughout the world have hosted the World Urban Forum, with the inaugural session held in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, in 2002.