World Urban Forum

The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization.

The 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.

Representatives of national, regional and local governments, academics, business people, community leaders, urban planners and civil society representatives will be among the thousands of people are expected to attend WUF12 which is co-organized by The Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

About WUF History, key documents

News

A delegate learned about the impact of WUF at the WUF13 booth during the Assembly. © UN-Habitat/Peter Ndolo

30 May 2025

WUF12 makes history: record attendance and a call to action for cities

WUF: Theme, numbers & facts

Theme: It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities
Attendance: 25,000 Participants (in-person & online) from 182 countries.
Place: Cairo, Egypt
Date: 4 to 8 November 2024

25,000 Participants

Theme: Transforming Our Cities for a Better Urban Future
Attendance: 17,000+ attendees from 158 countries.
Place: Katowice, Poland
Date: 26 to 30 June 2022

17,000+ attendees

Theme: Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation
Attendance: 13,000+ attendees from 160 countries.
Place: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Date: 8 to 13 February 2020

13,000+ attendees

Who can participate? Learn more ...

News

Road to WUF

The WUF12, convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), will take place in Cairo, Egypt. This will be the first time in over 20 years, the forum is returning to the African continent, and it is the first time that it will be held in a megacity.

30 May 2025