The Presidency
“In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful”
Your Excellencies and Highnesses,
Heads of State and Government,
Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach,
Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat),
Ladies and gentlemen,
I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the land of Egypt and its capital, Cairo. Established over a millennium ago, Cairo stands as one of the world’s most significant and historic capitals. With its rich and enduring legacy, Cairo emerges as an ideal venue to host the 12th edition of the World Urban Forum, to share expertise and identify best practices on urban development.
This shall contribute to achieving sustainable development and developing approaches to building better cities, thereby improving the lives of millions.
This issue is of particular importance, given the unprecedented challenges confronting cities and communities today, including rapid population growth, climate change, water scarcity, sustainable development, housing loss and the need for adequate financing. Addressing these challenges requires concerted international efforts to find innovative and effective solutions.
Honorable attendees,
This edition of the World Urban Forum convenes at a critical time, as the world is grappling with successive global crises, including devastating wars and their catastrophic repercussions for cities, urban communities and all walks of life.
This requires the mobilization of efforts and the exercise of political will to establish peace, terminate conflicts and prioritize development, reconstruction and rebuilding. Only then, can we embark on serious endeavors to address urban challenges in societies that are ravaged by wars, fighting, displacement, famine and disease.
Perhaps, the wars and conflicts raging in the Middle East, primarily the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, serve as a stark reminder of the exorbitant losses that nations incur as a result of opting for war and conflict over peace and stability.
The daily suffering endured by the peoples of these countries necessitates immediate, urgent and vigorous response to end the bloodshed and destruction, and to embark on processes of reconstruction and development. Egypt has consistently demonstrated its commitment to providing all forms of support to its brothers to end the violence and mitigate the severity of the humanitarian, economic and social repercussions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Even amidst the numerous challenges and crises, Egypt has demonstrably exhibited remarkable resilience, achieving notable successes over the past years in construction and urban development, in alignment with the goals of the national strategy “Egypt Vision 2030”. Significant initiatives and large-scale projects have been implemented, primarily the “Decent Life” Initiative for rural development and urban renewal; “Takaful w Karama” for the most vulnerable families; and “Housing for All”, which is Egypt and the world’s largest social housing project for low-income brackets.
Egypt has also established a new generation of cities, adopting sustainability and digital intelligence standards, primarily the New Administrative Capital and the New Alamain City, in addition to another 22 cities. They were established simultaneously in governorates across the republic.
Moreover, projects have been launched to develop slums, upgrade unplanned and unsafe areas, and modernize means of transportation.
Allow me, on this occasion, to declare the launch of the “National Smart Cities Strategy” and the “National Green Urbanization Strategy”, which aim to reinforce ongoing national endeavors in the domain of urbanization, grounded in global sustainability standards and partnership.
Dear attendees,
The World Urban Forum provides an ideal platform for promoting fruitful and vigorous dialogue among all stakeholders on ways to improve the conditions of human communities and enhance urban development.
By fostering collaboration among local communities, international organizations, the private sector, civil society and universities, we can establish partnerships and develop policies and strategies that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of the peoples for a decent life and a more prosperous future.
Finally, I hope this forum will constitute a key milestone on the path toward the implementation of the “New Urban Agenda” and the consolidation of international partnerships. The goal is to identify innovative solutions and formulate practical recommendations that contribute to mitigating the challenges of urban development and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Thank you
May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon you
