The Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, held a meeting with Alessandro Fracasetti, the resident representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Egypt.
During the meeting, several areas of cooperation were discussed between the Egyptian government and the program. The discussion focused on the state’s strategic priorities, the country program, and the strategic framework for the partnership between Egypt and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023 – 2027.
During the meeting, the Minister discussed collaborative efforts with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to strengthen Egypt’s endeavors towards executing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with the country’s Vision 2030.
The discussion emphasized the significance of consolidating efforts and maximizing benefits from the UN’s comparative advantage, practical international and regional cooperation, development financing, and technical support, through development partners. The overarching goal was to enhance the country’s efforts towards achieving the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda.
During the meeting, the discussions were focused on exploring the potential collaboration opportunities between the country platform of the “NWFE” program and the UNDP.
The aim was to extend support to national efforts and provide advisory services in the domains of development project management and implementation, transitioning towards a green and sustainable economy, and leveraging various cooperation tools and partnerships between the UNDP and development partners.
The discussions also highlighted the possibility of engaging with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to increase the impact of climate finance and development in Egypt.
Al-Mashat stressed the Ministry’s keenness to promote coordination between multilateral and bilateral development partners and various national entities to maximize the benefit of the implemented development programs and projects, especially with regard to the ongoing cooperation with the UNDP, in light of the Ministry’s position to chair the special management committee.
During the discussions, progress on the Egyptian Red Sea Initiative was reviewed, which is being prepared for implementation by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) totaling $15 million. This initiative was officially launched during the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in November 2022 to combat climate change and mitigate its devastating effects on Egyptian coral reefs in the Red Sea.
The initiative aims to enhance national investment efforts to preserve coral reefs in the Red Sea in Egypt, as part of Egyptian efforts in the field of biodiversity and preservation of natural reserves, emphasizing the importance of joint work. The Red Sea Initiative is a testament to the significance of multilateral cooperation in paving the way towards enhancing the ability to adapt and mitigate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of climate change.
