The Ninth Session of the World Urban Forum will take place from 7-13 February in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, convened by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Government of Malaysia. This is the first time the Forum convenes since the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) adopted the New Urban Agenda in Ecuador on October 2016.

The New Urban Agenda sets out a global vision and standards for sustainable cities. The Agenda contributes to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WUF9 will convene on the theme of ‘Cities 2030, Cities for All: Implementing the New Urban Agenda.’

The Forum comprises many parallel events, including ministerial roundtables, stakeholder roundtables, dialogues and special sessions focusing on specific themes such as migration, youth employment, recovery from disasters, and ‘smart cities’. The World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments will meet on 8 February. An exhibition of innovative programmes, initiatives and products relevant to urban issues will take place alongside the meetings.

UN-Habitat convenes WUF as a non-legislative technical forum every two years, bringing together a wide range of actors from the public and private sectors and civil society. This year’s Forum will provide input to the first report on implementation of the New Urban Agenda.