The UIA’s COVID-delayed 2020 Rio World Congress—renamed “UIA 2021 Rio” and held over the course of the summer of 2021—managed to reach 88,000 participants in one form or another. Twenty keynote speakers, leading over 500 other speakers, delivered a robust presentation program with over 500 hours of content. This content will be accessible to registered participants in five languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Chinese) until the 2023 World Congress in Copenhagen.
For the first time in its history, the UIA held its General Assembly in a completely virtual format spread over two-hour meeting sessions on four separate days. The General Assembly draws delegates from all 120+ UIA Member Sections, with the number of votes proportional to the number of registered architects recognized by each Member Section. The U.S. delegation was led by AIA President Peter Exley, FAIA and included Dan Hart, FAIA, AIA First Vice President, along with AIA’s representatives to the competitions, education, professional practice and sustainable development goals commissions, and AIA collateral organizations (ACSA, AIAS, NAAB, NCARB).
Taking over from Thomas Vonier, FAIA as UIA President is José-Luis Cortés Delgado (Mexico). Tan Pei Ing (Malaysia) was elected Secretary General, and the new Treasurer is Seif Allah Alnaga (Egypt). Elected as Vice Presidents representing the UIA’s five global regions: Region I, Natalie Mossin (Nordic Countries); Region II, Istelianna Atanassova (Georgia); Region III, Sam Oboh (Canada, and current AIA International Region adjunct Board director and representative to the AIA College of Fellows); Region IV, Ishtiaque Zahir Titas (Bangladesh); and Region V, Tokunbo Omisore (Nigeria). Special congratulations to Sam Oboh!
Barcelona was voted to host the 2026 World Congress over a competing proposal from Beijing. The next major UIA event will be the International Housing Forum, “Removing Barriers” in Madrid 16-19 May, 2022.
James M. Wright, FAIA, NCARB
Past President, AIA International Region
Co-Director, UIA Professional Practice Commission
