Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stressed that we are living in times of transition. “Two years of pandemics have shown that we need to redefine life in big urban centres, in many countries,” he pointed out.

The Polish Prime Minister said that Warsaw, rebuilt after the war, is today a testimony to Poland’s dynamic development. In Katowice, development opportunities are being created that did not exist before, with respect for the natural environment and the aspirations of young people. “This is how we want to transform Polish cities,” the Prime Minister said.

World Urban Forum

World Urban Forum (WUF) is the world’s most important and largest conference on urban policy-making and implementation, organised every two years under the aegis of UN-Habitat.

This is the first time the event has been held in Central Europe. Importantly, in the race to organise WUF11, Katowice came ahead of such cities as Dortmund and Mexico City. The event aims to promote sustainable urban development and discuss future challenges. 

Poland’s role in WUF11

The World Urban Forum will also focus on crisis response and urban reconstruction.

Poland, which has taken in the largest number of Ukrainian refugees, will host a special session on rebuilding communities and local communities after war and natural disasters. The discussion in this area will focus on the development challenges involved in restoring the lost socio-economic potential in countries affected by armed conflict.