The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.
The side event "United for Change: Translating Africa's Urban Position into Transformative Actions" will be convened at the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in 2026 as a strategic platform to advance Africa's collective urban agenda. Building on the outcomes of the First Africa Urban Forum (AUF) and in anticipation of the Second Africa Urban Forum (AUF2), the event will focus on operationalizing the African Urban Position by translating it from a shared continental vision into concrete, coordinated, and implementable actions. By bringing together national and local governments, regional institutions, development partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector, the event will foster dialogue, shared learning, and collaboration around integrated approaches to sustainable urbanization. It will emphasize inclusive governance, policy coherence, and multi-level partnerships to enable African cities to function as engines of economic transformation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability in alignment with Agenda 2063 and the New Urban Agenda. Key Objectives 1. Translate Policy into Action To identify actionable pathways for implementing the African Urban Position at national, subnational, and local levels. 2. Strengthen Multi-Level Governance To promote coordination and coherence among continental, national, and local actors, with a particular focus on decentralization and the role of local authorities. 3. Mobilize Stakeholders and Partnerships To engage governments, development partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector in advancing a shared and integrated urban development agenda. 4. Promote Knowledge Exchange and Good Practices To facilitate shared learning and dissemination of successful approaches that address key urban challenges, including housing, infrastructure, informality, environmental sustainability, and social inequality. 5. Position African Cities as Drivers of Transformation To reinforce the role of cities as engines of inclusive economic growth, resilience, and shared prosperity across the continent. Facilitators: Giuseppe Tesoriere Partners: UNECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Ethiopia) Panelists: Ms. Lusungu Kayani, Social Affairs Officer, UNECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, (Ethiopia) Mr. Issaka GARBA ABDOU, Head, Governance and Human Rights Division, African Union Commission (Ethiopia) Mr. Oumar Sylla, Director for the Regional Office for Africa, UN-Habitat (Kenya) Mr. Thomas Sinmegn, Data Specialist, UNECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Ethiopia) Ms. Gaokgakala Sobatha, Expert Decentralisation, Local Governance & Urban Development, African Union Commission (Ethiopia)
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