NAIROBI/KENYA: The Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat announced that the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF), the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization, will take place from 4 to 8 November 2024 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the second United Nations Habitat Assembly, the highest global decision-making body on sustainable urbanization, in Nairobi.

“Egypt is committed to supporting international development agendas as well as joint action and regional and international cooperation to undertake its impactful role in the national, regional and global development processes,” stated Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Assem El Gazzar.

“The Egyptian state will also work to ensure that all voices are represented in the forum, in particular the voices of African cities and the cities of the Global South,” said Minister of Local Development Major General Hisham Amna.

At the start of May, the Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat signed the agreement of cooperation stating that WUF12 will be held in Egypt. It will be an opportunity to hold global discussions around sustainable urbanization through sharing of knowledge and best practices as well as to share Egypt’s urban experience, including establishing new cities and the development of informal areas.

The WUF Local Organizing Committee, established under the auspices of the Egyptian Prime Minister is chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, the Ministry of Local Development and Cairo Governorate.

“I would like to invite all stakeholders to join us on the road to WUF12. We only have 515 days to Cairo, and we are midway through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Time is of the essence,” Michal Mlynar, Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat. “Let’s commit to changing our cities and human settlements for a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban future.”

For the first time in 20 years, the forum will be returning to the African continent, a continent known to have one of the world’s fastest rates of urbanization. It will be the first WUF to be held in a megacity, as Cairo is the largest metropolitan area in Africa and the Middle East, and the main driver behind the Egyptian economic development.

UN-Habitat has been working in Egypt since 2008 to support sustainable urbanization, aiming to drive development and improve living conditions for all, with a focus on policy and governance, enhancing access to basic services, availing different modes of mobility and addressing climate action through various projects spanning a number of different governorates.

The United Nations Habitat Assembly convenes every four years by UN-Habitat and provides a platform for member states and stakeholders to share their views and adopt guidelines and recommendations to progress toward achieving sustainable urban development.