The Africa Urban Forum is a continental platform that promotes sustainable development in African human settlements. It is a platform through which governments collaborate to enhance African cities, enabling them to fulfill their potential as centers of hope, growth, and prosperity. The African Union Commission and its member-states established the Africa Urban Forum in 2022 in response to the rising consciousness of the rapid urbanization in Africa, its opportunities, & challenges, and the need to create a continental scale forum to support an inclusive and holistic approach to unlocking the potential of urbanization in the continent.

The Harmonized Regional Framework for Implementing the New Urban Agenda in Africa, developed by the African Union Commission, jointly with UN-Habitat and UNECA serves as the main guiding framework for the deliberations of the Africa Urban Forum. The framework aligns with the transformative vision of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and serves as a pivot for addressing urban related issues in Africa.

Ethiopia will host the Inaugural Africa Urban Forum 2024 to be convened on the 4-6 September 2024 at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum.

The format of the African Urban Forum will include round-tables, plenary sessions/ panel discussions, dialogues, side events, assemblies, and exhibitions.