The twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) is set to take place in Cairo, Egypt from 4 to 8 November 2024. Organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in collaboration with the Government of Egypt, the forum will bring together a Bahrain-led delegation consisting of representatives from the government, private sector, and youth-led organizations involved in sustainable urban development in the Kingdom. This event will be held under the patronage of the Prime Minister, along with the Ministry of Local Development and the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities of Egypt.
After a historic return to Africa, WUF12 aims to address the challenges faced by rapidly urbanizing cities on the continent. Africa’s population is expected to double in the next 30 years, with six major cities projected to house more than 10 million people by 2035. The forum will focus on urban development issues globally, with a particular emphasis on the African context. The cities of Luanda, Dar es Salaam, Cairo, Kinshasa, Lagos, and Greater Johannesburg are set to become some of the world’s largest metropolitan hubs according to the EIU African Cities 2035 report.
The five-day event is expected to attract thousands of participants from around the world, including representatives from various sectors such as national, regional, and local governments, businesses, community leaders, urban planners, and civil society organizations. With over 6,500 attendees from 160 countries already registered, WUF12 will feature more than 500 events, an extended Urban Expo, and Cairo Urban Week. The main sessions of the forum will be livestreamed in all six UN languages, as well as International and Arabic Sign Languages.
The overarching theme of WUF12 is “It all starts at home: Local actions for sustainable cities and communities.” The forum will explore how cities can be leveraged to accelerate global progress towards sustainable development and inclusive growth. Key topics on the agenda include adequate and affordable housing for all, cities and the climate crisis, partnerships for bridging global goals to local realities, unlocking local financing for sustainable development, harnessing technology to enhance quality of life, and building safe homes in the face of destruction and displacement.
UN-Habitat’s Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach emphasized the importance of addressing crucial challenges such as housing, land use, urban planning, and governance at the forum. She highlighted the need to ensure safe and affordable housing for all, undertake recovery and reconstruction, build climate resilience, and ensure that digital transformation benefits everyone. WUF12 aims to not only facilitate discussions but also to inspire participants to take home innovative solutions and best practices to lead transformational change locally. Participants are encouraged to register for the forum online at www.wuf.unhabitat.org to be a part of this global dialogue on sustainable urban development.
