Cairo declaration on housing, sustainable development adopted

THE Cairo Declaration on Housing, and Sustainable Urban Development in the Arab region was adopted on the last day of the first Arab Ministerial Forum for Housing and Urban Development.

For three days, housing and sustainable urban development issues have been debated at the Arab Ministerial Forum for Housing and Urban Development (AMFHUD). The forum was organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, the League of Arab States and UN-Habitat. It attracted participation by 15 high level ministerial delegations, representatives of national and regional organisations, local government, academia, private sector and civil society.

The Egyptian Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Mr. Mostafa Madbouly, expressed his appreciation for the contributions from the participants from across the Arab region to the discussions at the forum. Challenges, opportunities and best practices were debated at 16 thematic sessions. The recommendations from AFMHUD will be important for the urban development in the Arab region. These recommendations include promotion of decentralisation and financial independence of municipalities, modernisation of national urban policies and strategies as well as integrated policies to promote social inclusion and reduce poverty gaps.