Mohamed Moussa and Ayman Rushdi
Ongoing preparations for the upcoming 12th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12), convened by United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Cairo, November 4-8, 2024, have featured high on the agenda of a major meeting held on Sunday.
The meeting, held at Al-Manara International Conference Centre, brought together Minister of Local Development Manal Awadh, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Sherif El Shirbini, and Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, as well as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach. Representatives of the organiser company also attended.
The WUF12 is returning to the African continent after more than 20 years after its inception in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2002.
Following the meeting, the officials toured the Al-Manara Centre to inspect the logistical preparations underway to host the WUF12, as well as the pavilions of the participating countries and institutions, the registration tent, the main gates, the various entrances to the halls area, and the main hall for holding the forum.
During the meeting, the UN-Habitat’s Rossbach commended the ongoing co-operation with the Egyptian government in projects covering various fields related to urbanisation.
These include the new national urban policy approved by Egypt, with its great potential to contribute to urbanisation and national development, and the long-standing co-operation planned in advanced urban planning as well as design tools in cities of a special nature.
For her part, Minister of Local Development Manal Awadh, said that Cairo has adopted a comprehensive strategy stemming from ‘Egypt Vision 2030’ and the ‘National Urban Agenda 2022’, aiming to achieve sustainable and balanced urban development, ensuring that the needs of present and future generations, as well as bridging the gap between urban and rural areas through the presidential initiative Hayah Karuima (Decent Life).
Hosting the WUF12, under the theme ‘It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities’, clearly reflects Egypt’s pioneering and strategic role at the international and regional levels as a centre for development, urbanisation and peace, Minister Awadh added.
For his part, Minister of Housing, El-Sherbini underlined that the WUF offers a great opportunity to showcase the leading Egyptian experience in achieving comprehensive urban renaissance in various parts of Egypt during the past few years, and since President Abdel Fattah El Sisi took office.
Cairo Governor, Ibrahim Saber said that the governorate aims, through the various activities of the WUF, including the Cairo Urban Week, to introduce the unprecedented achievements it has made in fields of housing, infrastructure, and removing slums.
Cairo will also showcase its rich historical legacy, as the governorate seeks to transform the city into an open museum, the governor said.
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