01 February 2020

Leading policy makers, mayors, academics, business people, community leaders, artists and urban planners will be in Abu Dhabi this month for the World Urban Forum (WUF 10), a world’s leading conference which is being held in the Arab region for the first time.

The 10th session of the forum, which will run from February 8 to 13, is convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat),  the UN agency focused on sustainable urbanisation, said the organisers, the Department of Municipalities and Transportation (DMT).

The World Urban Forum, the premier global gathering on urban issues, examines the impact of rapid urbanisation and its implications for social, economic and environmental policies in communities, cities and towns.

The forum will bring together some 20,000 delegates from more than 150 countries.  The theme this year is ‘Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation’ which brings together knowledge, art, belief, capabilities, habits, morals and behaviours, and is widely recognised as playing a key role in the growth and development of cities, stated DMT.

WUF 10 features an Urban Expo with  more than 170 exhibitors from 66 countries, a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Zone, an Urban Library and the UN-Habitat Better Cities Film Festival.

UN Habitat executive director Maimunah Mohd Sharif said: “The world has really changed since the first World Urban Forum back in 2002. Urbanisation is now recognised as one of the defining trends of the times. But ultimately the aim has remained constant – to promote transformative change to improve living conditions for everyone.”

Alongside high-level dialogues and roundtables, there are assemblies for young people, women, local and regional governments, grassroots communities and business, as well as 400 events hosted by partners.

A special session on Voluntary Local Reviews, hosted by UN-Habitat and the City of New York will discuss how cities can report their progress towards the SDGs, share best practices and encourage new cities to join the movement, she stated.

Some 50 mayors and governors have confirmed their attendance so far from cities in Africa, Europe, Asia and North and South America.  

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