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The Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat kick off preparations of WUF12

Cairo/Egypt, 7 May 2023 – The Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat announced that they are starting preparations for the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12).

The premier global conference on urbanization convened by UN-Habitat, the United Nations entity responsible for sustainable urban development, is set to take place in Cairo in November 2024.

The announcement was made at the Egyptian Cabinet, following a meeting between Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.

During the meeting, they signed the agreement to hold WUF12 in Egypt, jointly organized by the Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat.

The Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat kick off preparations of WUF12 The Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat kick off preparations of WUF12

 ”We are proud to be hosting the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum in Cairo in 2024. This is a significant milestone in our partnership with UN-Habitat. We are eager to use this event as a platform to engage in global discussions around urbanization and learn from other countries and stakeholders, and continue to build sustainable and resilient cities for future generations,”

said in his speech Prime Minister of Egypt Dr. Mostafa Madbouly.

The WUF Local Organizing Committee meeting, established under the auspices of the Egyptian Prime Minister and 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, was also held for the first time.

The discussions included:

  • The need to accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals through national and regional urban forums.
  • Cairo aims to set new benchmarks for all cities and communities to follow as previous WUF host cities did.
  • WUF is about action on the ground. Declared actions and, most importantly, actions fulfilled.

In 2022, Egypt was selected to host WUF12 in Cairo. The forum comes after various achievements, including Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority receiving the UN-Habitat 2021 Scroll of Honour award in the field of sustainable urbanization and the success in hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

“I stand before you today to assure you that you can fully count on the support from UN-Habitat through the entire preparatory process to make sure we make the best out of this opportunity. Let us come together, let us collaborate and let us build a better future that will last thousands of years more for the generations to come.”

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN-Habitat Executive Director, stated during the press conference.
Signature of the WUF12 agreement at the Egyptian cabinet in the presence of Prime Minister of Egypt Dr. Mostafa Madbouly
Signature of the WUF12 agreement at the Egyptian cabinet in the presence of Prime Minister of Egypt Dr. Mostafa Madbouly

For further media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:

World Urban Forum Secretariat
Email: unhabitat-wuf@un.org