NAIROBI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The 14th edition of World Urban Forum (WUF 14) will be held in Mexico City, the Mexican capital, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) announced on Tuesday.
Anaclaudia Rossbach, executive director of UN-Habitat, hailed the governments of Mexico and Mexico City for winning the bid to host the event, whose aim is to advance sustainable urbanization across the globe.
"I extend my sincere congratulations to the Government of Mexico and the Government of Mexico City for this important achievement, which reflects their leadership, forward-looking vision and steadfast commitment to advancing inclusive, sustainable and resilient urban development," Rossbach said in a statement released in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Established in 2001 by the UN General Assembly and convened by the UN-Habitat since 2002, the WUF is a premier global platform for dialogue among policymakers, local government leaders, and civil society actors aimed at fostering sustainable urban development and human settlements.
Rossbach noted that the return of the forum to Latin America happened at a pivotal moment when the region was grappling with complex and urgent urban challenges.
According to the UN-Habitat, Mexico City's bid was selected based on its organizational capacity, political commitment, infrastructure readiness and clear vision to leverage WUF14 as a platform for advancing urban transformation.
Clara Marina Brugada Molina, head of the Government of Mexico City, said that WUF 14 represents an opportunity to share best practices on advancing a rights-based, inclusive, democratic and sustainable urban development model. ■