By Gift Briton
The 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF-12) has kicked off in Egypt, drawing over 37,000 participants from around the globe.
The event, which will run until November 8th, organized by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the second to be hosted in Africa. Nairobi hosted the first one in 2002.
With urban growth accelerating across Africa, WUF-12 is a critical platform for addressing urgent challenges facing cities, particularly the housing crisis.
In a powerful opening address, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored urbanization’s profound environmental and social impacts.
“Cities generate 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Municipal waste is projected to increase by two-thirds over the next 30 years,” Guterres said in a recorded video. “While cities are powerful engines of social and economic growth, they also hold the key to addressing the challenges of climate change, inequality, and poverty.”
Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, emphasized the severity of the global housing crisis, which affects nearly three billion people worldwide.
“Transforming informal settlements, and slums, and addressing homelessness is a must. The World Urban Forum is the perfect platform to build coalitions and partnerships for meaningful change,” Rossbach said, urging nations to prioritize sustainable housing solutions.
Discussions of housing are particularly relevant to Africa, where the urbanization rate is the fastest in the world and informal settlements are a growing concern. UN-Habitat estimates that seven in ten Africans will live in urban areas by 2050.
“We must also recognize the importance of working together, with the private sector and local communities, to tackle urban challenges. Inclusive growth and resilience in cities can only be achieved through collaboration,” said Manal Awad, Egypt’s Minister of Local Development.
The theme of this year’s forum focuses on “Local actions for sustainable cities and communities.” Experts at the forum are emphasizing that while global policies are essential, it is local innovations and solutions that will drive lasting change. With less than five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the event will spotlight the importance of local solutions in addressing global urban challenges.
The opening ceremony was attended by the President of Egypt as well as three other heads of state, including the President of Sudan, the President of Yemen, and the President of the State of Palestine. The Mayor of the Hague also spoke during the opening ceremony.
At the close of the Forum, WUF12 will issue the Cairo Call to Action, a document outlining commitments and pathways for sustainable urbanization.
