Egypt to host WUF12 focusing on localizing SDGs

14 / 02 / 2024

By Marwa Nassar - -

Egypt will host the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) on November 4 through 8 under the theme “It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities.”

WUF12 will focus on localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and on the local actions and initiatives required to curb current global challenges affecting the daily life of people, including unaffordable housing, rising living costs, climate change, the lack of basic services, and ongoing conflicts.

The concept of localization recognizes the role of subnational governments and calls for a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach, empowering local stakeholders and fostering citizen engagement. It requires aligning actions with community priorities, recognizing the unique conditions of each locality.

Localizing the SDGs can empower local stakeholders, encourage citizen participation, and make sustainable development more responsive to local needs – positively impacting small communities and sprawling megacities alike.

TheWUF12 will take place as calls are made to collectively address global challenges such as rising poverty and inequality, climate change, armed conflict, and the digital divide. The forum will take place shortly after the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024, roughly five years before the deadline to deliver on the SDGs, highlighting the transformative role of sustainable cities and communities within the 2030 Global Sustainable Agenda.

The World Urban Forum (WUF) – the world’s premier conference on sustainable urbanization – was established by the United Nations in 2001 to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies and climate change.

Convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), the Forum is a unique non-legislative platform and one of the most inclusive international gatherings on urban issues.