Ashraf AboArafe
A statement of the United Nations Information Center in Cairo stated that decision makers, mayors, academics, businessmen, community leaders, urban artists and planners are among the thousands who participated in the pioneering global conference on urbanization, the World Urban Forum, in Abu Dhabi next month.
According to the statement, “This will be the first time that the World Urban Forum, convened by the United Nations Agency for Sustainable Urbanization, will convene the United Nations Human Settlements Program (Habitat) in the Arab region, where the tenth session of the World Urban Forum WUF 10 will be held from 8 to 13 February in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“The world has really changed since the first World Urban Forum in 2002,” it said. “It has now been recognized that urbanization is one of the specific directions of this era. But in the end, the goal remains constant – encouraging change to improve living conditions for all. ”
The theme of this year’s World Urban Forum is “Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation,” according to the statement. It is widely recognized that a culture that combines knowledge, art, belief, capabilities, customs, ethics and behaviors also plays a major role in the growth and development of cities.
In addition to the high-level dialogues and round tables, the Forum will host associations for youth, women, local and regional governments, local communities and the business sector, as well as 400 sessions organized by partners. WUF has 10 urban galleries with more than 170 exhibitors from 66 countries along with a sustainable development goals area, urban library and film festival towards better cities.
A special session, hosted by UN-Habitat and New York City, will discuss voluntary local reviews and how cities can report on their progress towards the sustainable development goals, exchange best practices and encourage new cities to join the movement.
About 50 mayors and governors have registered their presence so far from cities in Africa, Europe, Asia, North and South America. A similar number of ministers have been already registered, along with high-level representatives from 15 UN agencies and several award-winning architects to attend the Forum.
There are only ten years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the 2030 date. The World Urban Forum will be the first major United Nations event for the decade of action that begins this month and calls for accelerating sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.
It is noteworthy that the United Nations Human Settlements Program (Habitat), UN-Habitat works in more than 90 countries to support urban residents and human settlements for a better urban future. In partnership with governments and local partners, Habitat Projects combine global expertise and local knowledge to deliver targeted solutions at the right time. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a dedicated goal on cities to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
