The 10th World Urban Forum was held between 8-13 February 2020, at the Abu Dhabi National Fair, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Municipality, with the participation of local government representatives coming from all over the world.
At the 10th World Urban Forum, which hosted more than 13,000 participants, a joint call for action was made for the creation of a better future for cities. One of the largest international events on the future of world cities, the Forum lasted for six days with more than 540 official events.
Among the proposals announced at the closing ceremony to provide a better future for the cities were the commitments made by international organizations, national, local and regional governments, the private sector, civil society and academia to support sustainable development goals over the next two years and afterwards.
Sustainable Development Goal 11 revolves around “the need to build sustainable cities and communities.” UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif stated that the Abu Dhabi Declaration provides the necessary components to advance this goal.
Creating and Beautifying Cities
Mohammed Al-Khader Al-Ahmad, Director General for Strategy Affairs and General Coordinator of the 10th World Urban Forum, said that the cooperation between his country and the UN-Habitat is not only for building cities, but also for making them more beautiful.
UN-Habitat Executive Director announced that the next World Urban Forum would be held in 2022 in Katowice, Poland.
The Role of UCLG-MEWA at the 10th World Urban Forum
Within the scope of the Forum, the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) Meeting was also held. UCLG-MEWA President Mohamed Saadie represented the MEWA Region at UNACLA, which convened to bring local governments closer to global agendas. Speaking at the Committee, Saadie talked about the current challenges and political priorities of the MEWA region. In addition, the priorities of the MEWA Region were shared in the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, during the sessions organized with the theme of Urban Planning in Post-Conflict/ Post-Crisis Context and Enhancing the Positive Impact of Urban Migration.
Local Government and Diplomatic Mission Relations in the Region
The UCLG-MEWA Delegation, which participated in the Forum, held many meetings in order to strengthen its relations with local governments and diplomatic missions in the region. The delegation paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Lebanon, Fouad Shehab Dan, and the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Turkey, Can Dizdar. During the meeting, a short briefing was given on UCLG-MEWA’s committees, membership network, task forces and their activities, and the importance of the cooperation of local governments in the region for development was emphasized.
You can find the event photos here.