Tribute to Malick Gaye, WUC Champion and Friend

We are profoundly saddened at the sudden death of Malick Gaye, a member of our World Urban Campaign Steering Committee. Malick passed away in Dakar on 17 November 2021.

Malick is one of the founders of the World Urban Campaign launched in 2010 at the 5th World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro. He had an immense positive impact when he joined to provide advice and perspective on the strategy to better advocate and engage organizations to elevate sustainable urbanization. In the last two years he chaired the WUC Grassroots Constituency and organized a series of Urban Thinkers Campuses to exchange on water and farming solutions to increase the resilience of vulnerable urban communities.

Malick Gaye was an architect, urban planner and researcher at ENDA Tiers Monde - Environment, Development and Action since July 1982. He has been Executive Director of the Relay for Participated Urban Development of ENDA which has obtained Special Consultative Status of the United Nations ECOSOC. Malick was engaged in key activities of UN-Habitat representing the civil society and grassroots communities. He was also an active player of the Global Habitat Coalition (HIC) since 1987.

Malick has been a veteran of the civil society engagement in human settlements and the environment engaged in the Habitat II Conference in 1996 and the Habitat III Conference in 2016, ​​where he made keys contributions. He published a book on “Entrepreneurial Cities” in 1996, led and contributed to many researches, studies and projects in the Global South. In 1995, Malick has presented one of the top 25 UN-Habitat Best Practices at the Dubai International Conference held before the Habitat II Conference. He obtained the 2nd distinction after the John Turner International Exhibition in partnership with HIC in Berlin in 1988, during the International Year of Homeless Housing organized by UN-Habitat. He also received, in 2002, from the hands of the Prince of Belgium, the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor awarded to ENDA TM.

Beyond these tangible contributions, Malick was a warm friend and an inspiration for all of us. He was a tireless advocate of the voiceless. He fought for their rights and empowered the most vulnerable in cities and communities.

Malick, Rest in Peace.

Our warm condolences to his family and friends.

The WUC Steering Committee and Secretariat