Forward of the closing ceremony, UN-Habitat Government Director, Anaclaudia Rossbach, emphasised the Forum’s well timed emphasis on native motion.
“Over half of the world’s inhabitants now resides in city areas,” she said, as she highlighted the pivotal function of native governments in shaping cities and human settlements.
WUF12 was “a turning level within the journey of the World City Discussion board,” she declared.
Document-breaking Discussion board
Over the previous 5 days, WUF12, convened biennially by UN-Habitat, explored urbanization via six predominant dialogues, roundtables, assemblies, and partner-led occasions.
“We’ve got damaged many information and scaled new heights at this World Discussion board,” Ms. Rossbach acknowledged, citing spectacular metrics, together with the attendance of over 24,000 contributors from 182 international locations.
As well as, 4 heads of state, 60 ministers, 45 deputy ministers and 96 mayors, attended greater than 700 occasions from 1,500 organizers.
In throughout 63,000 folks, in particular person or on-line, attended dialogues, classes and discussions.
Essential points tackled
Discussions at WUF12, she stated, highlighted key challenges central to selling sustainable cities. These included the urgency of addressing the worldwide housing disaster, recognizing that sufficient housing is a human proper and its hyperlinks to local weather and humanitarian crises.
Alongside, finance for city sustainability should be prioritizing, via tapping into unused monetary sources in cities, as wanted.
Capturing, sharing, and studying from greatest practices to speed up motion successfully and at scale, is equally essential, she stated, as is leveraging the potential of coalitions and partnerships within the face of complicated and unprecedented challenges.
Manal Awad, Minister of Native Improvement, Egypt presenting Cairo Name to Motion.
The Cairo Name to Motion
On the ultimate day, delegations adopted the Cairo Name to Motion, pledging to behave with urgency to handle the worldwide housing disaster in addition to leveraging native motion to reaching world objectives and targets.
The Cairo Name to Motion additionally emphasised, amongst different factors, the necessity for sustaining a systemic illustration of native actors in any respect ranges, sharing city areas and alternatives inclusively, city planning to ship higher native outcomes, and unlocking finance for cities and communities.
Delegations additionally dedicated to making sure fairness and justice for sustainable cities, leveraging native and grassroots information for decision-making, harnessing tradition and heritage as an asset for sustainability, and constructing coalitions and alliances to scale native affect.
Guaranteeing a good life
Talking on the closing, Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Sherif El-Sherbiny, strengthened the theme’s significance, stating, “every little thing begins domestically, from the place we stay.”
He pledged that Egypt’s authorities will proceed to work towards offering a “respectable life” and sustainable growth for all residents.
“We’re in a position. We will construct a greater future for us and for the following technology,” he added.
Sherif El-Sherbiny, Egypt’s Minister of Housing.
Onerous work continues
A number of non-governmental group (NGOs) and civil society organizations emphasised security and inclusivity, such because the Van Leer Basis, which helps younger kids, caregivers and communities worldwide.
Chief Programme Officer Rushda Majeed highlighted the inspiration’s mission to foster inclusive communities, noting that WUF12 was worthwhile for showcasing actions from prior Boards.
She highlighted the various conversations and displays, constructing upon earlier outcomes.
“We discover this of nice worth by way of not solely assembly folks and advocating for specific causes however actually studying about what has been achieved.”
On the closing day, discussions targeted on creating safer areas for future generations.
One roundtable featured Professor Anna Barker from the College of Leeds, in the UK, who shared her analysis on girls’s and ladies’ security in public parks.
“We spoke to a various vary of ladies and ladies,” she stated, “and used their suggestions to create new steerage.”
This steerage has been applied via the Inexperienced Flag Award programme throughout 17 international locations.
Anna Barker is an affiliate professor in legal justice and criminology on the College of Leeds.
Trying forward
Within the coming weeks and months, UN-Habitat will spotlight the outcomes of WUF12 at key occasions, together with COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Ms. Rossbach stated the outcomes would inform discussions inside UN-Habitat and the primary open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Ample Housing for All.
“We’re excited in regards to the journey to Baku,” she added, referencing the 2026 WUF13, because the Discussion board continues to handle the challenges of urbanization.
