Egypt, UN-Habitat sign MOU to host world urban forum in 2024

The Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat announced that they are starting preparations for the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12). The premier global conference on urbanisation 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 organised by the Government of Egypt and UN-Habitat.

”We are proud to be hosting the 12th 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 urbanisation and learn from other countries and stakeholders and continue to build sustainable and resilient cities for future generations,” said Prime Minister of Egypt, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly.

The WUF Local Organising 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 forum; set new benchmarks for all cities and communities.

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 urbanisation 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,” UN-Habitat Executive Director, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, stated during the press conference. ”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.”

The WUF was established in 2001 by the United Nations to address one of the most pressing issues facing the world: rapid urbanisation and its impact on people, cities, economies, climate change, and policies. Held every two years, the forum is convened by UN-Habitat.

It is designed as a high-level, open, and inclusive platform for addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanisation. Each session is staged in a different city – the twelfth session in Cairo, Egypt, will mark the first time the forum returns to an African continent in over 20 years and the first time WUF is held in a megacity with more than 20 million inhabitants.