The 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12), convened by UN-Habitat, took place in Cairo, Egypt, from 4 to 8 November 2024, marking the forum’s return to Africa more than two decades after its creation in Nairobi in 2002.
Under the theme “It all starts at home: Local actions for sustainable cities and communities”, WUF12 focused on localising the Sustainable Development Goals and on practical responses to housing costs, climate change, access to basic services, conflict and the digital divide.
The localisation approach recognises the role of subnational governments, communities and citizens in adapting global objectives to local realities. It calls for whole-of-government and whole-of-society action.
The forum was held shortly after the UN Summit of the Future and around five years before the 2030 deadline for the SDGs, highlighting the role of cities and communities in global sustainable development.
