The world’s largest urban development forum concludes with a Call to Action in Cairo
Before the closing ceremony, UN-Habitat CEO, Anaclaudia Rossbach, emphasized forumTimely emphasis on local action.
“More than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas,” she said. speakas she emphasized the pivotal role of local government in shaping cities and human settlements.
WUF12 used to be”a turning point in the journey of the World Urban Forum,” she declared.
Record-breaking forum
Over the past five days, WUF12, convened every two years by UN-Habitat, has explored urbanization through six key dialogues, roundtables, conferences and partner-led events .
“We broke many records and climbed new heights at this World Forum,” Ms. Rossbach declared, citing impressive figures, including the attendance of more than 24,000 participants from 182 countries. nation.
In addition, 4 heads of state, 60 ministers, 45 deputy ministers and 96 mayors attended more than 700 events from 1,500 organizers.
In total, more than 63,000 people, in person or online, attended the dialogues, sessions and discussions.
Important issues are resolved
Discussions at WUF12 highlighted key challenges in promoting sustainable cities, she said. These include the urgency of addressing the global housing crisis, recognizing that adequate housing is a human right and its link to the climate and humanitarian crises.
In addition, financing for urban sustainability must be prioritized through tapping unused financial resources in cities when needed.
Capturing, sharing and learning from best practices to accelerate action effectively and at scale is equally important, she said, as is leveraging the potential of coalitions and partnership in the face of complex and unprecedented challenges.
Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development, Egypt presented the Call to Action in Cairo.
Cairo’s call to action
On the last day, delegations approved Cairo’s call to actionCommitted to taking urgent action to tackle the global housing crisis as well as driving local action to achieve global goals and targets.
the Cairo’s call to action also emphasizes, among other things, the need to maintain systematic representation of local actors at all levels, to share urban spaces and opportunities in an inclusive way, and urban planning to delivering better local outcomes and freeing up finances for cities and communities.
Delegations also committed to ensuring equity and justice for sustainable cities, leveraging local and grassroots data for decision-making, and harnessing culture and heritage as an asset for sustainability , and build alliances and alliances to expand local impact.
Ensure a decent life
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Sherif El-Sherbiny, reinforced the importance of this topic, stating, “everything starts locally, from where we live”.
He pledged that the Egyptian government will continue its efforts to bring “good life” and sustainable development to all people.
“We can. We can build a better future for ourselves and for the next generation,” he added.
Sherif El-Sherbiny, Egyptian Minister of Housing.
The hard work continues
Several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations emphasize safety and inclusion, such as the Van Leer Foundation, which supports young children, caregivers, and communities worldwide. gender.
Program Director Rushda Majeed emphasized the organization’s mission of promoting inclusive communities, noting that WUF12 was valuable in showcasing actions from previous Forums.
She emphasized many conversations and presentations, building on previous results.
“We found this to be of great value not only in meeting people and campaigning for specific causes but actually learning about what was being done.”
On the closing day, discussions focused on creating safer spaces for future generations.
A roundtable featured Professor Anna Barker from the University of Leeds, UK, who shared her research into the safety of women and girls in public parks.
“We spoke to many different women and girls and used their feedback to come up with the new guidance,” she said.
This guidance has been made possible through the Green Flag Award program across 17 countries.
Anna Barker is associate professor of criminal justice and criminology at the University of Leeds.
Look ahead
In the coming weeks and months, UN-Habitat will highlight the results of WUF12 at key events, including COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Ms. Rossbach said the results will inform discussions within UN-Habitat and the first open Intergovernmental Working Group on Affordable Housing for All.
“We are very excited about the journey to Baku,” she added, referring to WUF13 in 2026, as the Forum continues to address the challenges of urbanization.
