Egypt’s Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, engaged in a meeting on Saturday with representatives from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Cairo. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the findings of the organization’s report and review the draft on assessing Egypt’s sustainable development policies.
Tariq Al-Arabi, CEO of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, Raouf Saad, Advisor to the Minister for Multilateral Agreements, Mathilde Mesnard, Deputy Director of the Environment Department at the OECD (ENV), Nathalie Girouard, Head of the Environmental Performance and Information Division (ENV/EPI), Julia Wanjiru Nyekema, policy analyst, Insa Handschoch, economist, and other OECD representatives attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Fouad emphasized Egypt’s commitment to strengthening its relations with African countries and those in the region. She highlighted Egypt’s representation of Africa’s voice during the African Ministers of Environment Conference and the Paris negotiations. Furthermore, she mentioned Egypt’s launch of the African Adaptation Initiative and the African Renewable Energy Initiative, aimed at supporting the development agenda in Africa and achieving sustainable growth while fostering cooperation and integration among African nations.
Fouad also discussed Egypt’s efforts to prioritize environmental concerns and integrate them into various development sectors, emphasizing the need to change the discourse on the environment. She elaborated on Egypt’s approach to climate change and its implementation of numerous projects in collaboration with development partners and financial institutions. These initiatives focus on adapting to and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, particularly in relation to water and food security. Egypt has undertaken national projects to line canals, desalinate seawater, and develop climate-resilient crops.
The OECD officials expressed their satisfaction with the cooperation between their organization and the Ministry of Environment. They praised Egypt’s environmental efforts and its transition toward a greener future.
