UN conference in Poland to discuss reconstruction of Ukrainian cities

Thousands of international policy makers, business leaders and academics have flocked to the southern Polish city of Katowice for a major United Nations conference on urban development.

The 11th World Urban Forum in Poland's Katowice is expected to focus on topics including the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities destroyed by invading Russian forces.

Photo: PAP/Tomasz Wiktor

The 11th World Urban Forum starts on Monday and runs until Thursday, focusing on topics such as green cities, innovation and urban planning as well as refugee policies, according to officials.

With Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the conference is also expected to discuss the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities after the war, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is scheduled to open the event at the International Congress Centre in Katowice on Monday morning.

Oczy całego świata skierowane są na #Katowice.
📢 Jutro o godz. 10.00 ceremonia otwarcia 11. edycji Światowego Forum Miejskiego #WUF11 z udziałem:@GrzegorzPuda,@MaimunahSharif,@M_Jarosinska,@KrupaMarcinpl.

Relacja na żywo 👉 https://t.co/IeAuCcSi5V pic.twitter.com/41dD6tFmIz

— Ministerstwo Funduszy i Polityki Regionalnej (@MFIPR_GOV_PL) June 26, 2022

#DYK the flag raising session kicks off every World Urban Forum? We take great pride in seeing the blue @UN flag waving next to the national flag of the #WUF11 host country! Thank you Poland for welcoming us! pic.twitter.com/E85HjxQybR

— UN-Habitat (@UNHABITAT) June 26, 2022

The World Urban Forum is held every two years. The 2020 conference took place in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Poland's Katowice in 2018 hosted the UN's COP24 climate change conference, which drew around 21,500 participants from almost 200 countries, according to officials.

(gs)

Source: IAR