CAIRO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) kicked off on Monday in New Cairo, Egypt, marking the forum's first return to Africa in more than two decades.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said this year's WUF convenes at a critical time, as successive global crises, including devastating wars, have catastrophic repercussions for cities and urban communities.

This requires efforts and political will to establish peace, terminate conflicts, and prioritize development, and reconstruction, he added.

Noting the ongoing wars and conflicts in the Middle East, primarily the war in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, he urged urgent response to end the bloodshed and destruction, and to embark on processes of reconstruction and development.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli offensive has damaged 80 percent of facilities, hospitals, and buildings in the Gaza Strip. He noted more than 150,000 Palestinians were either killed or wounded, calling on the international community to take their responsibilities to stop the Israeli offensive.

At the opening ceremony, the Egyptian president announced the launch of the "National Smart Cities Strategy" and the "National Green Urbanization Strategy," which aim to reinforce ongoing national endeavors in promoting urbanization.

Co-organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the Egyptian government, the WUF12 will run until Friday, attracting attendees such as government officials, academics, business people, community leaders, urban planners and civil society representatives. A delegation led by Chinese Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong also attended the opening ceremony.

The WUF was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The first WUF was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002.

During the conference, Azerbaijan was announced as the next host for the forum.