WUF12 was the largest in the Forum’s history, with participants at the venue and online totaling more than 63,000 people from 182 countries and more than 700 partner-led events. The Forum also marked a return to the African continent after 20 years. The opening ceremony featured four heads of state, from Yemen, Sudan, the State of Palestine, and the host country Egypt. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt, noted that WUF12 comes at a time of crises and wars, and called for halting the destruction of settlements, supporting poor communities, and developing new projects to provide housing for all. As discussions progressed during the week, panelists and participants highlighted access to adequate housing as a human right; yet almost three billion people worldwide face housing inadequacy, and 1.1 billion still live in slums and informal settlement managing the impacts of displacement due to war and conflict; promoting social cohesion and inclusivity through urban planning and design; and addressing environmental sustainability concerns, amongst other human-centered solutions. 

WUF12 events took place in dialogues and other high-level events, that included panel discussions, live performances and audience participation, roundtables of WUF’s partner constituencies. UN-Habitat also launched its flagship World Cities Report 2024 during the Forum. WUF12 was, therefore, an opportunity to lend momentum and solidify key global commitments for sustainable development.