Invitation from the Commissioner General, World Urban Forum III

From June 19-23, more than 10,000 people from over 100 nations gathered in Vancouver, Canada for the Third Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF3). Over the five days of the Forum, attendees had a unique opportunity to share ideas, to learn from each other, and listen as high-profile experts from around the world outlined approaches and solutions to some of the most critical problems facing cities. They also got the chance to see why Vancouver, one of Canada�s most beautiful cities, is consistently rated as one of the best places in the world in which to live.

As Canada's Commissioner General for World Urban Forum III, I was honoured to welcome participants to Vancouver � the birthplace of the UN HABITAT programme. The first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements that took place in Vancouver in 1976 awakened many to the realization that the physical and the human environments of cities cannot be separated.

It also taught us that we need to build new networks of hope and to create new vehicles to encourage the leaders and decision-makers who are addressing difficult urban issues on a daily basis, by providing them with the tools to do a better job.

This is what happened at World Urban Forum III, a momentous event that helped make the world�s cities better places in which to live and work.

Charles Kelly
Commissioner General, World Urban Forum III -  Biography