The WUF (World Urban Forum) was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change, and policies.
At the 2022 edition,“Transforming Our Cities for a Better Urban Future,”held in Katowice, Poland, from June 26 to 30; TECHO invited to serve as a member and partner of the civil society and foundation group presenting the past, present, and future of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), based on our history and the impact we have had on communities and informal settlements over the years.
The theme of WUF 11 aims to provide deeper insights into the future of cities based on trends, challenges, and opportunities, so that cities can be better prepared to face future pandemics and a wide range of other impacts.
The meeting focused on three main topics:
- The visibility of public policies regarding informal settlements in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and structural transformations in terms of housing, infrastructure, and other areas.
- Action on Climate Change and the Improvement of Slums.
- Improving marginalized neighborhoods in the context of migration, social issues, and politics.
With Ricardo Jordan, Secretary of the Board of Directors of TECHO , participating in the Forum, TECHO part in four discussion sessions.
Networking Events. Hybrid Space: Envisioning the Improvement of Marginalized Neighborhoods for the City of Tomorrow
TECHO how it has worked to improve informal settlements over the past 25 years. This led to the preparation of a document summarizing the discussions and the next steps for this network of LAC countries, of which TECHO is a member. The presentation of TECHO results and regional impact TECHO acknowledged by the Asia and Africa regions, and contacts were established to share experiences in the near future.
World Urban Campaign (WUC). Steering Committee & Assembly. UN-Habitat.
The World Urban Campaign brings together various global stakeholders and initiatives, organized into several groups. It began with a formal presentation to the World Urban Campaign (WUC) assembly, where one of the Campaign’s main initiatives is the Urban Thinker Campus. Experiences and knowledge are shared on various topics to develop future initiatives in which countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will address informal settlements with the participation of various stakeholders, including TECHO.
Roundtable Discussion with Foundations and Philanthropists.
Several initiatives were presented that aim to democratize, expand, and modernize the ways in which institutions and companies—primarily European and North American—provide donations and support. One of the most important aspects was the shift these organizations have undergone from a charitable approach to one of social investment in their actions and initiatives.
TECHO the opportunity to engage in a bilateral exchange of the findings of an interesting study conducted by Harvard University, titled“From Prosperity to Purpose: Perspectives on Philanthropy and Social Investment Among High-Net-Worth Individuals in Latin America,” whichpresents interesting conclusions and proposals for the financial strategy of institutions such as TECHO .
Participatory Slum Upgrading. UN-Habitat
A platform was created to launch a global publication initiative on “Solutions to the Challenges of Informal Settlements,” and TECHO was among the organizations and institutions invited to contribute to this publication. The main objective of the publication is to develop key strategic proposals for a Global Action Plan to improve informal settlements, which will guide efforts over the next 10 years.
In closing, Ricardo, an expert on cities and the 2030 Agenda, shares the event’s closing statement with us:
The institutions participating in WUF 11 were asked to outline their commitments and work plans (key initiatives), which will be included in an annex to the WUF 11 Final Declaration at the closing ceremony, where TECHO the opportunity to do so