This report by the HIC General Secretariat reflects on the events, activities, collaborations and commemorations of Coalition Members and friends at the 12th World Urban Forum, Cairo, 4-8 November 2024.
HIC Events
- Social and feminist movement convergence around social production of habitat, with contributions by Massa Kone, HIC Board Representative for Social Movements, Guillermo Marzioni, HIC Vice President and HIC Africa members participating in the Women’s Spaces Project
- Temporary rental platforms and the commodification of housing, with contributions by Facundo di Filippo, HIC Board Representative for Latin America, and Maria Silvia Emanuelli, Coordinator HIC América Latina (HIC-AL)
- Housing, land and property solutions for displaced persons and communities, with contributions by Joseph Schechla, Coordinator HIC Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN)
Collaborations
- Grassroots Assembly with contribution by Grace Chikumo Mtonga, HIC President
- Advancing Community Public Partnerships with the Global Platform for the Right to the City (GPR2C), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU) at University College London (UCL)
- Forefronting action towards urban equality (DPU, UCLG, HIC)
- Training: Public-community partnerships democratizing and improving decision-making and service delivery to advance the right to the city for all (GPR2C, HIC, UCLG)
- Launch of the Hub for Housing Justice, a collaborative initiative by civil society networks and research organizations to advance housing justice – see details here.
- Feminist Cities – Advancing Care, Climate Justice & Inclusive Planning with contribution by Zaida Muxi, HIC Board Representative for Women’s and Feminist Movements
Celebrations
With great pleasure, HIC joined Members in celebrating decades of achievements:
The GPR2C celebrated 10 years fighting for and advancing recognition of the Global Platform for the Right to the City, initiated within HIC. This special celebration included a public discussion on Multiscale & Multi-actor partnerships to advance the right to the city & the New Urban Agenda, with contributions from the Brazilian Minister of Cities, the Executive Director of UN Habitat and the Secretary Generals of UCLG and HIC, and a big celebration with Members, Friends and Partners at the Habitat Village Standز
World Habitat celebrated 40 years of housing innovation through the World Habitat Awards, in partnership with UN-Habitat. The event highlighted award-winning solutions, shared global experiences, and fostered networking to inspire new approaches to housing challenges.
- 70 years of Development Planning Unit (DPU)
The Habitat Village also held the celebration of the Development Planning Unit (DPU)’s 70th anniversary. This event brought together a wider community to celebrate the engagement across educational, research and practice-based work at urban, regional, national and international scales. that DPU has been developing for decades.
WUF 12 Outcomes
HIC priority issues at the Civil Society Roundtable
HIC’s priority issues at the Civil Society Roundtable, which were considered in the drafting of the outcome document, the WUF 12 Call to Action:
- systematic, permanent and self-organized mechanisms for civil society, that differentiate between the roles of civil society and the private sector as stakeholders
- public-community partnerships instead of an overreliance on the private sector for the provision of basic goods and services
Read HIC’s full statement here.
WUF 12 Call to Action
The Cairo Call to Action is the non-binding outcome document of WUF 12 and outlines key issues for consideration. For HIC the below references are noteworthy:
- Affirmation of adequate housing as a human right (p.1)
- Prioritization of adequate housing as a foundation in local, national and global frameworks to realize sustainable development, and a pillar of social protection (p.1 -2)
- Call for sustained and systematic representation of communities as political actors in local and national decision-making processes (p. 2)
- Call for caring cities (p.3)
- Reference to the social and ecological functions of land, and continuum of land rights (p.3)
- Local and grassroots data for decision-making and collaborative efforts for co-production (p.3)
These issues will be considered as part of ongoing processes within UN Habitat and the multilateral system, including:
- the development of the new UN Habitat Strategic Plan (2026 – 2029) and its eventual adoption at the resumed UN Habitat Assembly II (mid 2026)
- the resolution on adequate housing for all (adopted at the UN Habitat Assembly II, June 2023), and the recently formed open-ended intergovernmental working group on housing
- the resolution on transformation of informal settlements and slums (adopted at the UN Habitat Assembly II, June 2023), and the Global Action Plan
- implementation of commitments in the Pact for the Future (adopted by the UN General Assembly, September 2024) to ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing
HIC will continue monitoring and advancing the collective HIC priority issues and demands as part of these various processes throughout the next months and years.
Photo: HIC Members, Friends and allies gethered at the Habitat Village, in WUF12. Source: HIC-GS.
