Cairo, 6 November 2024
At the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach engaged in a unique dialogue with her predecessors, Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Anna Tibaijuka. Their roundtable, themed “The New Urban Agenda: Where are we, how to get there?” provided an intergenerational perspective on the journey of sustainable urban development.
Rossbach opened with a powerful reminder: “We haven’t overcome poverty and structural inequality.” This set the tone as she, Tibaijuka, and Sharif each emphasized the need for stronger partnerships, community resilience, and significant financial investment.
Tibaijuka, reflecting on the foundational role of the World Urban Forum, called financing the “main challenge” for sustainable urban growth, especially in housing. Sharif, who led through the pandemic, highlighted how COVID-19 underscored the need for adaptable infrastructure, saying, “Why do we need a crisis to realize that communities need help?” As they looked to the future, they championed collaboration across sectors, local empowerment, and dedicated funding to turn the New Urban Agenda’s vision into reality.
