Date: 4 – 8 November 2024
Format: In person
Location: Cairo, Egypt
The 12th edition of the World Urban Forum will take place in Cairo, Egypt from the 4th to 8th of November. This is the largest and most important conference on sustainable urbanisation. 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. This will be the first time in over 20 years, that the forum is returning to the African continent, and it is the first time that it will be held in a megacity. The theme of this edition is ‘It all starts at home’.
Cities4Children and its members will be present at and running a number of events relevant for making cities better for and with children and young people. If you will be at WUF12, we encourage you to join us!
Ten Cities4Children events at WUF12
Pre-WUF – Friday, 1st November (at Cairo Urban Week)
Growing up Urban: Shaping Cairo for Our Children’s Wellbeing
Friday, 1st November | 17.30 – 18.30 | The Grand Egyptian Museum
Cities4Children Member Organisations: UN-Habitat, Save the Children, Van Leer Foundation
This panel aims to foster an inclusive dialogue that highlights the experiences of children in urban environments. It will address the challenges and opportunities faced by urban children and youth, with a specific focus on improving their living conditions and access to essential services in Cairo.
Monday, 4th November
Assemblies: Children and Youth Assembly
Monday, 4th November | 11.00 – 15.00 | Roundtable room B
Cities4Children Member Organisations: UN-Habitat, Global Alliance – Cities4Children, Save the Children
The Children and Youth Assembly aims to highlight the importance of children in urban development, recognizing them as active contributors to their sustainable future. It seeks to harness the energy and innovative capacity of children and youth, steering it into productive discourse and actions that positively impact urban policies and practices.
12.50 – 13.50: Cities4Children – A dialogue towards better cities
The Global Alliance – Cities4Children with children from the Save the Children delegation, will be moderating a dialogue with children and youth towards better cities for all.
Tuesday, 5th November
Urban Library: Cities for Children and Youth – A guided tour of resources to make cities better for and with children
Tuesday, 5th November | 15.00 – 16.00 | Urban Library Room B
Cities4Children Member Organisations: Save the Children, Van Leer Foundation, Arup, FIA Foundation, World Vision, Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI)
The Global Alliance – Cities4Children has built and curated a knowledge hub of publications, tools, resources, practical guides, and trainings on a wide range of subjects relating to children, youth, and cities. Several Alliance member organisations will showcase their recent publications.
Networking Event: Advancing caring cities – Active mobility for healthy, safer, and inclusive child-friendly futures
Tuesday, 5th November | 15.00 – 16.30 | Multipurpose room 21
Cities4Children Member Organisations: BYCS, Van Leer Foundation
This session brings together experts in active mobility and human-centered cities. Attendees will gain insights into the transformative power of child-friendly urban planning and the tangible benefits of cycling.
Roundtable: Children and Youth Roundtable
5th November | 16.00 – 18.00 | Plenary room B
Cities4Children Member Organisations: UN-Habitat, Save the Children, UNICEF
This roundtable will foster meaningful discussions with children and youth on how they can lead urban solutions, ensuring their voices are heard in shaping the future of cities.
Wednesday, 6th November
Networking Event: It Starts with Children – Local Actions for Inclusive Urban Futures
Wednesday, November 6th | 15.00 – 16.30 | Multipurpose Room 16
Cities4Children Member Organisations: Save the Children, UNICEF, UCLG, Cities Alliance, Van Leer Foundation, World Vision, ISOCARP, SDI, Habitat for Humanity, FIA Foundation, BYCS
This event will kick off a dialogue to inform the next pivotal milestone of Cities4Children: further localizing the impact for children in cities.
We are seeking input from city and local governments. In case you cannot attend, please fill out this survey: SURVEY
Event at the Future Generations Zone: Cities for and with Children and Youth – Ideas4Action
Wednesday, 06 November | 17.00 – 18.00 | Future Generations Zone, Urban Expo
Cities4Children Member Organisers: Save the Children and other Cities4Children member organisations
This session will showcase innovative, low-cost interventions from Global Alliance – Cities4Children members, aimed at creating better cities for and with children and youth. Focusing on themes like safe urban mobility, access to play, environmental sustainability, and youth participation in governance.
Thursday, 7th November
One UN: Safe, Inclusive and Sustainable cities for children: Addressing structural barriers to child well-being in Informal Settlements
Thursday, 7th November | 09.00 – 10.30 | ONE UN Room B
Cities4Children Member Organisations: UNICEF, UN-Habitat, SDI, World Vision
This event will bring together stakeholders to discuss the challenges faced by children living in slums, share data and ideas, and promote action toward building urban resilience.
Event at the Future Generations Zone: Guides and Toolkits for Better Cities for Children and Youth
Thursday, 07 November | 11.00 – 12.00 | Future Generations Zone, Urban Expo
Cities4Children Member Organisers: Save the Children and other Cities4Children members
This session will equip city planners, policymakers, and young advocates with practical tools to design urban environments that prioritize children and youth.
Empathy in Motion
Thursday, 7th November | 13.30 – 15.30 | Plenary room B
Cities4Children Member Organisations: UN-Habitat, Van Leer Foundation
This session will center the role of empathy as a principle of urban planning and how it can alert us to different needs and provide a roadmap for fairer cities.
Tuesday 05 – Friday 08 November
The Future Generations Zone
Tuesday 4th – Friday 8th November | 09:00 – 17:00 | Urban Expo
The Zone will offer a space for young people attending the forum to congregate, organise activities, and for partner organisations to organise events focused on children and youth in urban areas.
Other Children and Youth focused events by Cities4Children members at WUF12
| Date & Time | Session Name | Cities4Children Member Organisers | Event Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th November | 09.00 – 12.00 | Multipurpose Room 12 | Public Space Academy for the advancement of knowledge and design of public space | Arup, UN-Habitat | Training |
| 5th November | 11.00 – 12.30 | Voices from Cities – Room B | Mechanisms for trust-building and empowering youth to participate in urban decision-making | Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation, UN-Habitat | Voices from cities |
| 5th November | 13.00 – 14.30 | Multipurpose Room 19 | Leveraging mental modelling to craft unique solutions to climate adaptation in the Middle East | World Vision | Networking |
| 5th November | 17.00 – 18.30 | Multipurpose room 07 | Cities for Youth – Digital Tools and Youth Leadership for Urban Wellbeing | GIB, UN-Habitat | Networking |
| 6th November | 09.00 – 10.00 | Urban Library – room B | Empowering Children through Urban Policy and Legislative Decision-Making Processes | UNICEF, UN-Habitat | Urban Library |
| 6th November | 10.00 – 10.20 | Habitat Uni Booth, Urban Expo | Inclusive Cities: Cities for Children | Save the Children | Urban Expo |
| 6th November | 11.00 – 12.30 | Voices from Cities – room B | Youth voices and innovations on climate resilient urban food and water systems | GIB, ICLEI |
Voices from Cities
|
| 8th November | 09.00 – 10.30 | ONE UN room A | Public spaces for children. Guiding policies and practices for children’s well-being and development | WHO, UNICEF, UN-Habitat | ONE UN |
| 8th November | 11.00 – 12.30 | Voices from Cities – room A | Young Minds, Big Ideas. Accelerating Youth-Led and Localised Climate Action in Urban Africa | Plan International, UN-Habitat, SDI | Voices from cities |
We are incredibly excited to see the exponential growth – from past WUFs- in the number of events focusing on children and youth at WUF12. Our hope is that they inspire a lot of action towards making cities better for and with children and youth.
