News in 2022
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FIG Vice President attends United Nations 11th session of the World
Urban Forum
26-30 June, 2022, Katowice, Poland
FIG Vice President Diane Dumashie attends the United Nations 11th
session of the World Urban Forum (WUF11), Katowice, Poland from 26- 30
June 2022
Danilo Antonio (GLTN Professional Cluster lead) and Diane Dumashie
(VP FIG)
FIG Vice President Dr Diane Dumashie attended the
eleventh session of the World Urban Forum (WUF11) in Poland
from 26- 30 June 2022, held in the Katowice International
conference centre. Strategic partner meetings were also arranged with
the Global Land Tool Network (UN Habitat) and Habitat for Professionals
(HPF).
The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the premier global conference on
sustainable urbanization. This year the theme of WUF11 was
“Transforming our Cities for a Better Urban Future”.
Hosted by the Polish Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy,
and the Mayor of Katowice, it aimed to provide greater insights and
clarity on the future of cities based on existing trends, challenges and
opportunities, as well as to suggest ways cities can be better prepared
to address future pandemics and a wide range of other shocks.
Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Under Secretary-General and Executive Director
UN Habitat referring to the long term collaboration with the government
of Katowice applauded the joint initiate of the Sustainable City
Programme in 1992 and acknowledge the Honourable Mayor Marcin Krupa for
the excellent cooperation and celebration of the Sustainable Development
Goals in Katowice, where under this leadership the citizens of Katowice
have truly transformed the city into a vibrant place to live, work and
play.
Leftf: Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Under Secretary-General and Executive
Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
Right: Spodek Arena and International confenrce centre
The WUF11 theme provided a good opportunity for the city of Katowice
to demonstrate to the world community its own commitment to achieving a
sustainable urban future because Katowice is a great example of urban
regeneration, creating inclusive, prosperous cities with opportunities
for all. The past years has seen a transformation from an economy that
was heavily reliant on a single coal mining industry, to a diversified
one that is freer, cleaner and greener, based on culture and services.
1. The Conference and Key Stats
The WUF is not a legislative forum, but a unique one where
governments meet stakeholders and is largely led by partners.
A view of part of the extensive meeting area WUF 11
An incredible place to network and meet with a range of partners, it
was also highlighted that WUF11 was the most inclusive World Urban
Forum, in terms of accessibility for the differently abled with
interpretation and the use of sign language being mainstreamed on the
screens and in person throughout the dialogues. The host country has
also provided connectivity through digital services, making this the
first truly hybrid WUF.
Key statistics record 22,595 persons registered, representing 173
countries including 6,153 participants connected online. In terms of
speakers, panel parity was achieved with 54% women and 46% men thought
leaders.
The Forum meetings are divided into dialogue sessions, special
sessions, roundtables, youth, gender and business assemblies, networking
events, caucus meetings, training events along with an exciting array of
side events, exhibitions, cultural events and much more. (Barcelona in 2004, Vancouver in2006, Nanjing in 2008, Rio de Janeiro
in 2010, Naples in 2012, Medellin in 2014, and Kuala Lumpur in 2018, Abu
Dhabi in 2020. 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 urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities,
economies, climate change and policies. The first WUF was held in
Nairobi, Kenya in 2002 and has been held around the world ever since.
See here all listed
https://wuf.unhabitat.org/about-wuf . See also the
brochure.)
2. Conference Theme: Urbanisation
The theme transforming our cities for a better urban future is in the
context of the inevitable long-term prospects that point to a world that
will continue to urbanize over the next decade— from 56% of the world’s
population living in cities today, to 60% by 2030. Urban areas are the
engines which will absorb virtually all the future growth of the world’s
population. Every region is expected to become more urbanized in the
next ten years. Clearly, this tells us that the future of humanity is
undeniably urban, and we must plan our cities well to ensure
sustainability, equity and shared prosperity
The coronavirus pandemic is a stark reminder that urban areas need to
be prepared for a dynamic and unpredictable future. COVID-19 clearly
exposed the existing challenges that cities face, and their
vulnerability to shocks.
This raises some key questions about the future of cities: what kind
of cities are needed to support the future of humanity? How do we
envisage and reimagine the future of cities? What do we want our cities
to look like? The theme of WUF11 focused on these questions, with
the aim to provide an opportunity to anticipate change, course-correct,
and become more knowledgeable about the different possibilities that the
future of cities offers.
Specifically, Member States call for five areas of action: 1)
Housing, basic services, and urban planning 2) Climate action and
environmentally sustainability 3) Urban prosperity, economic
transformation, and financing 4) multi-level governance,
decentralisation, and localisation 5) post-Conflict/disaster urban
recovery
3. Conference Outcomes
After five days of debate and discussion across 400 events,
Thursday’s closing plenary highlighted the following WUF 11 key
messages:
- The climate emergency, pandemics, the housing crisis, violence,
and conflict, all converge in cities.
- If we want to transform to a better urban future, we will have
to increasingly deal with urban crises. These crises, such as the
growing number of urban poor, demand a fundamental shift, in the way
we live and the way we shape our cities.
- There was a clear recognition that Mayors and local governments
are both first responders, and are in a position to mobilise their
communities to make that shift happen, accelerating towards greener,
healthier, and more resilient cities.
- National governments can leverage this immense potential,
through clarity on multi-level governance, bringing youth and local
governments to the decision-making table, and investing early with
the help of the private sector.
- Urban recovery frameworks allow us to connect locally driven
people centred recovery with nationally-led interventions.
- Across the 10 events on Ukraine during WUF11, there was a clear
call to sustain the decentralisation gains, and ensure broad-based
collaboration, anchored in local governments.
And the Under Secretary-General and Executive Director also announced
the:
Launch of UN Habitat bi annual publication
“World Cities Report 2022: Envisaging the Future of Cities”.
This year's edition includes scenarios that take into account
sustainable development, addresses the issues of poverty and inequality,
green transformation, urban governance and the role of technology and
innovation in their development
Endorsement by: The meeting of 54 Member States of
the Commonwealth of Nations (CHOGM) endorsed the “Responding to Rapid
Urbanization and Climate Change: Call to Action on Sustainable
Urbanization Across the Commonwealth” in their meeting in Kigali, Rwanda
June 2022.
4. Meeting partners:
VP Diane Dumashie was pleased to reconnect with FIG
strategic partners and held a number of partner land-related meetings
during WUF, and attendance at:
- GLTN partners breakfast meeting; a precursor to
the full GLTN Steering Committee meeting to be held 5th September
2022
- Habitats Professionals Forum, Launch of the HPF roadmap;
This sets out 22 Propositions (grouped into general and thematic
propositions) to change the way we plan and manage our cities and
regions, and to make them fit for purpose in the Post-Covid World.
If acted upon, these Propositions will help align the separate and
disparate actions of government at all levels and link policies to
delivery mechanisms. (available on FIG website)
- Habitats Professionals
Forum Roundtable;
This was organised to review and discuss how to advance the role of
the professionals in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda
(NUA).
Rafael Tuts Director of UN-Habitat's Global Solutions Unit
Opening with key note from Rafael Tut Director of UN-Habitat's he
highlighted three important aspects for effective engagement of
professionals in the NUA:
- The way professionals relate to international agendas, emerging
issues and overall values and principles of sustainability
That member association have step up to work together across a
profession and identify new ways of articulation issues increasingly
more complex requiring solutions in this time of crises and
transformation.
- Moving forward Engagement with decision makers will be essential in
shaping the type of cities and being built and transformed.
And, at the Habitats Professionals Forum General Assembly;
Congratulations to the election of Chair Dr Mona Rady (UIA), and
Co-chair Mr. Eric Huybrechts (ICOMOS) for the period 2022- 2024
5. Final remarks
WUF images: left: WUF around the world Right: Katowice Silesian Museum
The closing ceremony in the Spodek Arena concluded with the torch for
WUF12 being officially passed to the Egyptian government,
represented by General Mohammed Sharawy, Minister of Local Development.
If you wish to understand cutting edge discussions, rub shoulders
with your own network but crucially those of others, registration for
WUF is open to everyone, free of charge with the next WUF 12 scheduled
to be held in Egypt in 2024.
Dr Diane A Dumashie FIG Vice President
July 2022
