Leading experts to discuss housing crisis across the globe About 69 percent of Egyptians estimated to live in cities by 2041 CAIRO: Egypt will host the 12th World Urban Forum, or WUF, in November next year, which brings together leading experts to discuss the globe’s housing crisis. The hosting venue was announced during the first session this year of the executive board of the UN Human Settlements Program, known as UN-Habitat, in Nairobi, Kenya, which took place on March 28 and 29. Wael Nasr El-Din Attia, Egypt’s ambassador to Kenya and permanent representative to UN-Habitat, affirmed his nation’s support for the efforts of the program under the leadership of the current executive director. Nasr El-Din Attia said recent statistics show that 69 percent of Egypt’s people will live in cities by 2041, which requires greater commitment to urban development plans. He said Egypt was working to ensure that the WUF reflects the priorities of developing countries in the field of urban development, in line with the UN goals for sustainable development. He stressed the need to provide more support for the regional offices of the program and to increase the number of country offices in developing countries. He said more human resources should be provided for the program to help countries submit their national reports in support of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The ambassador also touched on the most important areas of cooperation between the government and UN-Habitat, foremost of which is the implementation of the presidential initiative “Decent Life Initiative.” The $35 billion-presidential initiative aims to improve the lives of about 58 percent of Egypt’s people who live in rural areas and slums. The Cairo conference will build on the results of the 11th World Urban Forum and the results of the ministerial conference, which was held on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh and dealt with urban development and climate change. The WUF — convened under UN Habitat — is the world’s largest event to address urban development challenges. The WUF is held every two years, and draws tens of thousands of representatives of states, the private sector, regional and international financing institutions, and civil society. According to its website, the WUF was set up in 2001 by the UN to address one of the most pressing issues facing the world, which is rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.