World Urban Forum 13 Newsletter ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2025
“Housing the world:
Safe and resilient cities
and communities”
Welcome to the WUF13 newsletter! Here you’ll find the latest updates on the programme, advocacy efforts, and opportunities to engage as we prepare for the world’s premier forum on sustainable urbanization.
UN University
UN University…
🏠 Over 123 million people are forcibly displaced and more than 60% seek refuge in cities. 🏠
This #WorldHabitatDay, let’s commit to making urban areas inclusive, safe and resilient for all. 🌍
Via UN-HABITAT ⤵️
#UrbanOctober
UNESCO
UNESCO…
🇸🇦 In Saudi Arabia’s North Riyadh UNESCO Global Geopark, the land is alive with history.
Flat-topped escarpments, ancient coral reefs and desert valleys reveal 166 million years of geological stories that help us prepare and respond to threats such as climate disruption and desertification.
This #GeodiversityDay, we’re spotlighting the role of all the non-living elements of nature—minerals, fossils, soils, and landscapes—but also local communities, like those in North Riyadh, who study and protect them to shape a more sustainable future.
Read the full story on the first comment.
Photos: © North Riyadh UNESCO Global Geopark
#UNESCOGeoparks
UNITAR
UNITAR…
🌱 CIFAL Surrey presents Sustainability Leadership for Business, a world-class learning experience delivered by sustainability experts from the Institute for Sustainability and industry.
This 2-day programme is designed to equip leaders with the tools to drive sustainable transformation.
💡 The learning sessions are designed to include practical case studies and encourage deep stakeholder engagement. Participants will also develop their own leadership and action plan.
🗓 6 and 7 November 2025
📍 The University of Surrey, Surrey, United Kingdom
🔗 To learn more about the workshop and to register, please visit first comment.
#CGN #SustainabilityLeadership #SustainableBusiness #LeadershipDevelopment #ClimateAction
UN DESA
UN DESA
Explore the 🇺🇳 #MultilingualismMatters campaign from the United Nations Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, where we highlight how languages can unite us all.
Here is what UN DESA USG Li Junhua says 👇.
World Space Week – October 4 -10
It’s World Space Week! 🌗 🪐 From monitoring key climate variables to supporting disaster resilience, space-based data is critical in helping tackle the global climate crisis & protect our planet.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) works to advance the use of space technologies to achieve a more sustainable future.
UN-Habitat… ⏳ Deadline extended!
UN-Habitat…
⏳ Deadline extended!
You now have until 15 October to take the UN-Habitat stakeholder survey for the 2026 Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda.
In 2016, the New Urban Agenda set a bold promise: cities where everyone has adequate housing, land, and services — and where urbanization drives sustainable development.
It introduced firsts that still shape today’s agenda:
✅ Urbanization as opportunity, not just challenge
✅ Local governments at the center of action
✅ Cities linked to the climate agenda
✅ Global SDG reporting to keep us accountable
📊 But 10 years later, progress is uneven. From housing adequacy to transport and safety, many urban indicators still lack reliable global data — and often fail to reflect the lived realities of billions.
That’s why UN-Habitat is inviting local governments, civil society, academia, and urban actors everywhere to share their insights.
Learn more in the first comment.
Newsletter from the NGO Liaison Unit – October 2025
Dear NGO representatives accredited at the United Nations Office at Geneva,
We are pleased to share some updates, news and events taking place at the UN in Geneva, and New York, in the coming weeks.
With very best regards,
NGO Liaison Unit
