Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi addressed the opening of the 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12) on Monday, calling for a global effort to address the challenges facing cities and settlements worldwide. "This edition of the Forum comes at a crucial time as the world faces consecutive international crises and wars with devastating repercussions on cities, communities, and all aspects of life," Al-Sisi said. He emphasized the importance of achieving peace and focusing efforts on development, reconstruction, and rebuilding in order to address urban challenges. "It is impossible to take any serious steps to address urban challenges in societies suffering from wars, fighting, displacement, famine, and disease," he said. The president highlighted the current situation in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of conflict. He called for an immediate and effective response to stop the bloodshed and destruction, and to embark on building and development in the region. Al-Sisi also highlighted Egypt's progress in urban development and construction in recent years, citing the "Decent Life" initiative for rural Egypt and informal settlements, the "Takaful wa Karama" initiative to support impoverished families, and the "Housing for All Egyptians" initiative. He also mentioned the new Administrative Capital and the new Ain Sokhna City, along with twenty-two other cities built simultaneously in various governorates across the country. "On this occasion, allow me to announce the launch of the 'National Strategy for Smart Cities' and the 'National Strategy for Green Urbanization,' both aiming to strengthen existing national efforts in urban development based on international sustainability and partnership standards," he announced. Al-Sisi expressed his hope that the World Urban Forum would be a significant step towards implementing the "New Urban Agenda," strengthening international partnerships, and finding innovative solutions to address urban development challenges and achieve sustainable development goals. "This requires active participation from all concerned parties – local communities, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, and universities – to forge partnerships and formulate policies and strategies that reflect the needs and aspirations of people for a decent life and a better future," he said.
