The 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12) was held in Cairo on 4-8 November 2024, bringing together over 24,000 participants from 182 countries. The delegation of the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets (MPPCSA) was led by State Secretary Dunja Magaš. The main topic of WUF 12 was the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e. the exchange of information on local activities and initiatives that achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals while affecting people's daily lives.
WUF 12 - It All Starts at Home - local activities for sustainable cities and communities
Contemporary challenges such as unavailability and inaffordability of housing, increasing basic living costs, the negative consequences of climate change, the lack of public services and different states od crisis call for the necessary responses and WUF 12 has served as a platform for launching political and professional debates, exchanging knowledge and experience, and a global networking opportunity.
Egyptian President Abdelfatah Al-Sisi at the opening stressed that the modern world crisis involving rapid urbanisation, lack of drinking water, large numbers of refugees and displaced people as well as climate change requires innovative solutions and decisive actions. The key, he emphasized, is to build more sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities that will be able to withstand contemporary challenges. UN Programme for Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Executive Director (UN HABITAT) Anacláudia Rossbach and Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli in a joint statement singled out Egyptian efforts to improve the lives of 60 million Egyptians living in rural areas.
Within the WUF, a meeting was held between the Heads of Delegations on access to safe, affordable and adequate housing for everyone, where Croatia was represented by State Secretary Dunja Magaš.
In addition to events organised by the UN habitat, around 300 side events were held and organised by various stakeholders alongside Urban Expo and other side events at a large number of locations in the Cairo area. The Institute for Spatial Development co-organised the event held on 6 November entitled Reconstruction after disasters for the quality of life, during which the course and manner of reconstruction after the earthquake in Croatia was presented by Ingrid Gojević (MPPCSAI) and Igor Delak from the City of Zagreb, while Ivana Štrkalj from the Slovenian Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development presented reconstruction after the floods, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Community of Turkish municipalities Şengül Altan Arslan met the audience with main challenges of reconstruction of Turkish provinces affected by the earthquake in 2023.
On Friday, 8 November, a workshop on the Green Urban Renewal Strategies - mapping, planning, implementation, financing and digitalisation was held, co-organised by the Directorate for Energy Efficiency in Buildings and EU Projects and Programmes. The workshop was moderated by PhD. Ivana Katurić, and alongside Ines Androić and Sunčana Habrun (MPPCSA), the program was attended by EBRD Assistant Director Ivana Miličić, representatives of Urbanex Ltd., the Spanish town of Pontevedra and the GDI Group.
The Croatian delegation had a meeting was Tomislav Bošnjak, the ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Arab Republic of Egypt, and a working visit was made to the construction sites and completed parts of the New Capital City where all ministries, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Government, Parliament and the president were transferred from Cairo, and in the end all other administrative and economic contents together with around 6 million inhabitants are expected to be moved from Cairo. The construction of the new city is planned to be completed by the year 2030.
Events co-organised by the Croatian Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets:
- Panel discussion Reconstruction after disaster for the quality of life, Networking event
- Workshop Green Urban Renewal Strategies, Training session
Useful links:
News |
Information
