GLOBE-Net -The Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF4) opens today in Nanjing, China.   Political leaders and urban experts will discuss the unprecedented expansion of cities, especially those in the developing world where three million people move in every week.

In fact, urbanization levels will rise dramatically in the next 40 years.  Two-thirds of humanity are expected to live in towns and cities within the next fifty years, according to the State of the World’s Cities (See Business Report).

During the four-day conference urban experts will talk about minimizing burgeoning poverty.  They will look for ways to improve basic facilities, such as shelter, clean water and sanitation.   Some will focus on child-friendly urban centers.  Others will look at solid waste management and private funds to finance crumbling infrastructure.

Speakers include Raila Amollo Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya who had been the main opposition candidate during the disputed 2007 elections.  Nan Shi of the China Society of Urban Planning and Manuel Leuterio de Castro, Jr., Vice-President of the Philippines, are also expected to address the conference.

The main theme of WUF4 Conference Program, Harmonious Urbanization: the Challenge of Balanced Territorial Development, is supported by six sub-themes.   They will be discussed by high-profile experts who will engage participants from the audience to join in the discussion.

The opening ceremony marks the launch of the Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Award aimed at promoting the ideals and principles of good governance and equity in housing and urban development policies and practice.   Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa is the Prime Minister of Bahrain, the longest serving in the world, having been in office since 1970.

The highest award presented by the United Nations system in the field of human settlements, the Habitat Scroll of Honour Special Citation, will be conferred upon the City of Nanjing.

The World Urban Forum is a biennial gathering of non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, urban professionals, academics, government officials, local authorities and associations of local governments.  It was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies.

This session of the World Urban Forum is hosted by the Government of China and will run from November 3-6, 2008. This event was almost postponed due to the devastating earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province. China’s Ministry of Housing and Construction of China (MHCC) - the host to WUF4 - earlier had warned of a possible postponement of the meeting so it could concentrate on humanitarian relief operations.

Situated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the city of Nanjing dates back more than 2,000 years and is known as the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties of China. Today, home to six million people, it is a rapidly growing modern city and is one of the most dynamic in eastern China.

The WUF4 website has a complete listing of the event’s planned proceedings as well as a number of other information pieces on Speakers, Networking Sessions, the WUF4 Exhibition, as well as a series of Background papers.

The last Session of the World Urban Forum - WUF3 - was held in Vancouver, Canada in 2006.  It was organized by the GLOBE Foundation of Canada on behalf of UN-HABITAT and the Government of Canada.