Delegates adopt ‘Cairo call to action’ as world urban forum ends

Delegates at the twelfth edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF 12) have adopted the Cairo Call to Action, after intense discussions focused on the global housing crisis and financing urbanisation, all under the theme “It All Starts at Home.”

The five-day WUF12 convened biennially by UN-Habitat, explored urbanisation through dialogues, roundtables, assemblies, and partner-led events, which broke many records and scaled new heights, including the attendance of over 24,000 participants from 182 countries. In addition, four heads of state, 60 ministers, 45 deputy ministers and 96 mayors, attended more than 700 events from 1,500 organisers and over 63,000 people, in person or online, attended dialogues, sessions and discussions.

While adopting the 10-point Cairo declaration on the final day, the delegates pledged to act with urgency to address the global housing crisis, as well as leveraging local action to achieve global goals and targets.

They called for urgent action to address the global housing crisis and affirmed the need for “sustained and systemic representation of communities as political actors in local and national decision-making processes.”

The delegates emphasised, among other points, the need for sustaining a systemic representation of local actors at all levels, sharing urban spaces and opportunities inclusively, urban planning to deliver better local outcomes, and unlocking finance for cities and communities.

They also committed to ensuring equity and justice for sustainable cities, leveraging local and grassroots data for decision-making, harnessing culture and heritage as an asset for sustainability, and building coalitions and alliances to scale local impact.

At the closing ceremony, UN-Habitat Executive Director, Anaclaudia Rossbach, noted key themes that emerged: the critical urgency to address the global housing crisis; the need for financing to achieve better urban planning, land use, and sustainability; the value of sharing and learning from existing practices to accelerate action; and the power of partnerships.

“Over half of the world’s population now resides in urban areas,” she said, as she highlighted the pivotal role of local governments in shaping cities and human settlements.

Rossbach said the outcomes would inform discussions within UN-Habitat and the first open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing for All. “We are excited about the journey to Baku,” she added, referencing the 2026 WUF13, as the forum continues to address the challenges of urbanisation.

Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Sherif El-Sherbiny, reinforced the theme’s importance, stating, “Everything starts locally from where we live.” He pledged that Egypt’s government would continue to work toward providing a “decent life” and sustainable development for all citizens.

“We are able. We can build a better future for us and the next generation,” he added.