South Africa satisfied with World Urban Forum outcome
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South Africa’s Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has expressed satisfaction with the significant progress her delegation made at the 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12) in Cairo
The conference under the theme, "It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities," served as a dynamic platform to address urban development challenges.
The WUF was established by the United Nations in 2001 to address the challenges of rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change, and policies.
Convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Conference provided a high-level, open, and inclusive platform for stakeholders to discuss sustainable urbanisation issues.
Hosted by Member States on a rotational basis every two years, the conference fosters collaborative problem solving and knowledge sharing among nations, promoting cooperation and innovation in addressing urban development challenges.
Key milestones achieved by South Africa at WUF12 include the Cabinet-approved signing of an agreement with the UN-Habitat to establish their country office in South Africa. Kubayi said this development enables South Africa and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to tap into the office's technical expertise and network.
The country office's programme structure addresses critical human settlements priority areas, including adequate housing, transforming informal settlements, integrated planning, climate change mitigation, safety, social inclusion, and urban financing.
Other significant milestones recorded by South Africa at the conference include the country initiated inaugural SADC meeting of ministers responsible for Human Settlements, held on the sidelines of the conference. This meeting paves the way for collective development of a regional strategy to accelerate the transformation of informal settlements and slums, in partnership with the UN-Habitat.
The conference also provided South Africa with the opportunity to champion the Global Action Plan, a critical initiative seeking to transform informal settlements and slums worldwide.
-0- PANA CU/MA 12Nov2024
