Nairobi, 20 August 2019 - The Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10) will take place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 8 –13 February 2020, and registration has opened for delegates to attend. In addition the WUF10 Event applications and the WUF10 Exhibition applications are also open.
Organized and convened by UN-Habitat, the Forum is one of the most inclusive international gatherings on urban challenges. It operates as a forward thinking, open-ended think tank, providing a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue, collaboration, and public-private cooperation. It is a platform designed to raise awareness of sustainable urbanization, to improve collective knowledge and increase cooperation between stakeholders.
Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat encourages people to register early for the event, “The host city Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates government and UN-Habitat are joining forces to ensure that the meeting makes a lasting contribution to new ideas and new solutions in line with the theme – Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation.”
For the first time, culture, creativity and innovation will be at the centre of the global conversation about the liveability, vitality and sustainability of cities. Creativity and cultural diversity have always been key drivers of urban success. While technology shapes the invisible infrastructure of smart cities, culture and creativity are necessary to protect the quirkiness that gives cities their own character that connects and inspires us. At WUF10, culture will be positioned as a key driver for urban sustainability and a strategic asset for creating cities that are more inclusive, innovative and sustainable.
Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, Mr. Falah Al Ahbabi, emphasized, “With two-thirds of our global population expected to live in cities by 2030, and cities producing as much as 80 per cent of global GDP, urbanization will provide the greatest opportunity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
As the first Arab city to host a WUF, efforts are being made to raise the profile of urban stakeholders from the region. Recent Arab urbanism offers examples of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable human settlements for all.
One of the priorities at WUF10 will be to create an open environment where people can share with the world the best of multi-stakeholder, cross-agency, and international initiatives. Abu Dhabi and UN-Habitat will demonstrate to the world that cities are the solution to some of the toughest common challenges and that implementation efforts are in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals. Public-private cooperation is key to addressing issues and opportunities presented by urbanization.
History of WUF:
The World Urban Forum (WUF) was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. Today, it is the world’s premier conference on managing growing towns and cities.
Since its inception at the first meeting in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002, the Forum has grown in size and stature as it travelled to stunning new destinations every two years – Barcelona, Spain 2004, Vancouver, Canada 2006, Nanjing, China 2008, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2010, Naples, Italy 2012, Medellin, Colombia 2014. In 2018 WUF took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and was attended by more than 24,000 people – the theme was Cities 2030 – Cities for All: Implementing the New Urban Agenda.
The Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10) will take place in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).
For more information on the WUF10 preparation please visit:
Deadlines:
14 October 2019 - WUF10 Event Hosting applications close.
15 November 2019 - WUF10 Exhibition application closes.
21 January 2020 – WUF10 delegates registration closes.
