WU11 will be held at International Congress Centre (MCK), Plac Sławika i Antalla 1 40-163 Katowice, Poland. More information can be found on www.mckkatowice.pl/en/.

The working language of the World Urban Forum is English. Opening and closing sessions, dialogues, special sessions, roundtables and press conferences will feature interpretation in the six UN official languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese) plus Polish. Interpretation in three UN languages – English, French and Spanish – plus Polish will be offered during the assemblies and other major events at the Forum.

Organizers of networking and training events can book additional language services, as well as International Sign Language (ISL) or CART translation, at their own expense (order form will be made available to the organizers).

Main sessions and other major events will be provided with International Sign Language (ISL) or CART translation.

The International Congress Centre (MCK) in Katowice is fully wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs will be available for participants for use during the Forum and on the premises.

TOTUPOINT system 

The WUF11 venue is equipped in the TOTUPOINT sensors, which can help you find your way around the venue thanks to the app you can download from QR codes in the registration area. The audio messages emitted by the system can by particularly useful for people with vision disability.

Please find here a QR code and here a logo – we have both on the wall with the maps (in front of the registration/accreditation).

Full information about different events at WUF11 will be available in the WUF 11 Programme on the www.unhabitat.org/wuf website by early June 2022. Registered participants will receive printed copies of the WUF11 Programme when issued with their accreditation badges.

An international Urban Expo will run throughout the days of WUF11 to showcase the innovative work of visionaries and leaders in sustainable urbanization from around the globe. Thousands of people are expected to pass through the doors of the Urban Expo as a popular destination during each WUF. WUF11 registration is compulsory to visit the Urban Expo.

Exhibitors are able to reserve booths on a first-come, first-served basis. Exhibitors will be selected based on their applications. Selling items during the Urban Expo is prohibited. More information is available in the exhibition guide, including details on pricing for exhibition spaces. Exhibitors representing least-developed countries (LDC) will be offered complimentary space in standard booths, 9m2, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Booking for exhibition space is available in the personal profile dashboard after submission of the online registration form. Your exhibition space application will be reviewed and then confirmed upon payment.

Please consult the exhibition guide for details on pricing for exhibition spaces once posted on this website.

If you are registered as an exhibitor, you can participate in all sessions and events of WUF11. To be registered as an exhibitor means that you are registered for WUF11.

All registered exhibitors may access the meetings which are open to all participants at WUF11.

Yes, if you wish to visit the Urban Expo only you still need to register and get a WUF11 badge.

The World Urban Forum brings together sustainable urbanization champions from around the world. Whether they’re representatives of government or non-government and community organizations; private sector entrepreneurs, academics or foundation representatives, WUF’s participants constitute a broad array of constituents eager to explore the urban transformation agenda as relates to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.

The registration link is found on the WUF11 webpage. Participants must register in order to attend WUF11. No one will be granted admission to WUF11 and the Katowice International Conference Centre without having registered. Invitation letters from UN-Habitat will not be issued.

Events at WUF11 include assemblies, dialogues, roundtables, networking, training, film screening and report launches. Most of the events on the WUF11 programme are open to everyone. Selected events are by invitation only.

No. You can register online on the WUF11 website and get your accreditation badge once you arrive to the venue in person with a copy of your registration confirmation letter and personal identification used during registration.

The World Urban Forum will have besides the main events six categories of partner-driven events: SDGs in Action, ONE UN, Voices from Cities, Networking, Training, Urban Library.
The event submissions closed on 21 March and successful applicants will be notified from 6 May 2022 onwards.

Online registration opened on 15 December 2021 and closes on 25 June 2022 at 23:59 CET. You can edit your personal profile until online registration closes.

Please read the WUF11 online registration guidelines in English and Polish. The document explains the online registration process and offers basic tips how to troubleshoot problems.

There is no cost for registration. Application documents are available in English only and can be completed and submitted electronically. No support for travel, accommodation or expenses including meals and insurance will be provided by WUF11 organizers or UN-Habitat.

We encourage you to register online for either in-person or virtual participation in WUF11. Early registration is advisable. An automatically generated confirmation email, including QR Code and unique registration number, will be your ticket to access your photo badge on arrival at the Katowice International Convention Centre for the in-person event. You must bring a government issued identification card used at point of online registration with you to receive your photo badge for WUF11.

We will inform in due course on the procedure to be accredited for virtual attendance.

The World Urban Forum has one registration form which should be filled. You can choose your partner type during the registration process. UN-Habitat staff, including volunteers, will register through dedicated links.

All media representatives must apply through the general registration portal and identify as members of the media. To support your media accreditation – and allow you permission to bring recording and broadcast equipment to the venue, you must provide both national identification and identification as a media representative, with a national or international press association card or press pass. Media representatives will have access to the press room for filing and to sites on the grounds of the Katowice International Conference Centre for stand-ups. A media toolkit will be provided to accredited members of the press.

For any further questions about the registration process, email us at unhabitat-registration@un.org

Registered participants will be able to pick up their WUF11 photo badges from 23 June 2022. To avoid delays and long queues, participants are advised to arrive early and pick up their registration badges as early as possible.

For in-person accreditation at the venue, you need to bring a copy of the email registration confirmation, which includes your unique registration number and QR code, and proof of identification used for your online registration. The Katowice International Conference Centre will be well marked with directions, information and a map of the facilities. Volunteers and staff will be on hand to answer any questions.

UN-Habitat will not issue invitation letters to WUF11 participants. WUF11 participants must contact their nearest Embassy or Consulate of Republic of Poland for information about obtaining a visa, if required.

Please contact the nearest Polish Embassy or Consulate. While UN-Habitat will not issue invitation letters to WUF11 participants, it is recommended to attach the "WUF11 Acknowledgement of Registration" email when applying for your visa. Please note that this registration document will NOT guarantee that a visa will be issued. You will be required to comply with all the necessary requirements that are part of normal visa application procedures. To find out more about Schengen visas, entry and visiting conditions in Poland, visit:
https://strazgraniczna.pl/pl/cudzoziemcy/ogolne-warunki-wjazdu-i/4497,Entry-and-stay-conditions.html

Check if you need a visa to enter Poland by clicking here.

If you need a visa to come to Poland, you will need to submit an application to the Polish embassy or Polish consulate responsible for the country of your residence. You can find the list of embassies and consulates here.

If you live in one of these countries here, you can also submit a visa application at one of the visa application points responsible for your country of your residence.

If you live in one of these countries here, you will be able to submit your visa application at the embassy or consulate of the country indicated in the link.

When applying for a visa, apply for a Schengen visa. Detailed requirements for the application can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. For more information on the rules for submitting visa applications, please visit the websites of the relevant embassies or consulates.

Remember: Please attach the "WUF11 Acknowledgement of Registration" to the application.

You should submit your application as soon as possible as the processing time may vary due to individual circumstances or specific requirements.

If in doubt, please send your question to the address of the embassy or consulate responsible for your country of your residence or send an e-mail to wuf11.visa@msz.gov.pl.

No. Sponsorships will not be availed to participants by UN-Habitat. You are responsible for making your own arrangements for travel, accommodation, health and travel insurance and to cover your own expenses in Katowice.

No. Participants are expected to cover their own travel costs.

No. Participants are expected to cover their own accommodation costs and expenses.

No. Participants are expected to meet all costs related to their participation in WUF11.

The Host Country has appointed Mazurkas Travel as the official WUF11 Accommodation Operator, handling hotel accommodation and tour packages around Poland and can be reached via contact@WUF11hotels.pl.

Mazurkas Travel has created a dedicated online booking site for selected hotels with negotiated rates.

Participants wishing to use this service can access the online booking platform here.

Public transport organized by the ZTM (Metropolitan Transport Authority) all over the Upper Silesian and Zagłębie Metropolis (GZM) is available for all WUF11 participants.

Free of charge public transport for Forum participants with your WUF11 photo badge is unlimited and available from 23 June until 3 July 2022.

Please come and collect your WUF11 badge in person at the registration desk during the operating hours in the WUF11 venue (International Congress Center -MCK in Katowice) as your own photo badge is the only document entitling to free of charge travel. Therefore, all participants are required to pay for their travel by public transport in accordance with the applicable fees, before collecting their badges.

Click to the link here to get more information on the available ZTM bus and tram lines connecting the recommended hotels with the venue and the list of the nearest stops located near recommended hotels and the venue.

WUF 1 and WUF 2 shuttle bus lines are also free of charge on the basis you present your own WUF11 photo badge and will be operating according to timetable available here from 23 June until 3 July between the railway station in Katowice and the venue.

We encourage you to check the updated timetables of the ZTM transportation on their official website: https://rj.metropoliaztm.pl/?lang=en

You can easily get from the Katowice International Airport in Pyrzowice to Katowice city center using ZTM public transport. The AP line runs on the route Katowice Sądowa - Pyrzowice Port Lotniczy. Detailed information on the airport public transport lines is available on the ZTM website: https://rj.metropoliaztm.pl/rozklady/1-ap/ . Transportation is free of charge with your own WUF11 photo badge from 23 June until 3 July. WUF11 participant are therefore required to pay for their first trip to the city center upon arrival according to the applicable fees (about 6 PLN). The trip takes around 50 minutes. The AP line has also it’s bus stop at the Katowice Strefa Kultury (NOSPR) in the vicinity of the venue.

From the Kraków Balice International Airport, you can get to the center of Cracow by taking the (Lesser Poland Railways) Koleje Małopolskie train (SKA1 line) to Kraków Główny station. Detailed information is available on the website of Koleje Małopolskie: https://www.kolejemalopolskie.com.pl/pl/rozklad-jazdy/wieliczka-rynek-kopalnia-krakow-glowny-krakow-lotniskoairport .

By changing the train at the Kraków Główny station to (Silesian Railways) Koleje Śląskie train (https://www.kolejeslaskie.com/) or POLREGIO Railways (https://bilety.polregio.pl/), you can get to Katowice city center.

The ride on the entire route from the Krakow Balice - Krakow Główny - Katowice Railway Station is free of charge for WUF11 participants on the basis you present your own WUF11 photo badge. Therefore, the first trip to Katowice upon arrival (along the entire route) is chargeable in accordance with the applicable fees (total cost approx. 29 PLN). The total travel time is approx. 1 hour 50 minutes (you should carefully estimate the time of the change depending on the hours of train departure).

When using free of charge transport with the presentation of your own WUF11 badge, please make sure that you travel by an appropriate public transport carrier - the ZTM Metropolitan Transport Authority.

Free of charge travel on the Silesian Railways, POLREGIO and Lesser Poland Railways with the presentation of your own WUF11 badge is available exclusively on the route Krakow Balice Airport - Krakow Główny - Katowice Railway Station and back. The badge does not entitle to travel free of charge by rails on other routes in the Silesian and Lesser Poland Voivodeships.

The Katowice International Conference Centre offers free WIFI services throughout the facility.

Participants are advised to organize their own health insurance for travel to Katowice. There will be no reimbursement of these costs.

To follow COVID-19 restrictions and updates in Poland or for transit into Poland, please visit https://www.gov.pl/web/coronavirus.

Information about the COVID-19 protocols for participation in person at WUF11 will be shared shortly before the starting date of WUF11.

COVID-19 test centre

Information on locations are found here.

COVID-19 protocols for the WUF11 venue

Information about the COVID-19 protocols for participation in person at WUF11 can be found here.

Złoty is the official currency and legal tender of Poland. It is subdivided into 100 grosz. The widely recognized English form of the currency name is the Polish zloty.

Poland operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50 Hz. Types C and E are the official standard electrical outlets.

No, there are no calls for presentation of papers at the World Urban Forum.

Partner organizations hosting events identify their own speakers.

No. The World Urban Forum does not facilitate the sale of private products, publications, etc.

Usually the host country would need to be approached directly. More information on this will be available shortly.

Various information desks are found within the venue.

Please ask at the Information desk for guidance.

You can purchase a mobile sim card and airtime upon arrival at the international airport. Please ask at the Information desk for guidance. Information desks will be found at the airport, as well as inside the venue.

Please write to unhabitat-wuf@un.org