Cairo: Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny, Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, inaugurated the twelfth edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF12), taking place in Egypt from November 4 to 8. The forum boasts extensive international participation and addresses key issues related to housing, sustainable development, and technological transformation of cities, with a primary focus on “people.”
According to State Information Service Egypt, in his opening remarks, Minister El-Sherbiny welcomed Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), along with esteemed attendees. He stated, “We gather now to launch the meetings of the consolidated councils, each addressing critically important topics closely linked to human and citizen interests, as well as economic development, particularly in achieving sustainable development goals.”
The Minister explained that the council focused on women aims to promote gender eq
uality and empowerment by identifying barriers that hinder women’s access to advancement opportunities. He emphasized the need for actionable recommendations at the local level to help women overcome these challenges, highlighting that access to education, vocational training, and adequate housing creates a supportive environment for women’s progress in society.
Additionally, he noted that the council dedicated to children and youth will discuss their role in sustainable urban development, particularly through recommendations from the recent Future Summit. He stressed the importance of child care as a central theme in urban development and advocated for aligning the interests of children and youth with sustainable development goals.
Minister El-Sherbiny also addressed the consolidated councils for local and regional governments and for businesses, reinforcing the principle that “everything starts in the place where we live.”
He pointed out that Egypt’s policies, implemented by the Ministry of Housing in co
llaboration with other state ministries and civil society organizations, take into account the issues being discussed in the councils. He highlighted the importance of addressing these topics in new urban developments, emphasizing their close ties to citizen needs, quality of life, and creating environments that are conducive to living, working, and education-ultimately attracting more residents and investment.
The Minister affirmed that the discussions, involving politicians, academics, scientists, researchers, civil society representatives, governors, mayors, and other stakeholders, will yield significant results to be incorporated into the forum’s declaration. He expressed hope that the sessions would be productive and lead to actionable recommendations that serve the community and its constituents.