Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s Minister of Environment and Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), met with Dr. Khaled Fahmy, the newly appointed Executive Director of CEDARE, to discuss the center’s future work plan and explore ways the ministry can support its upcoming projects. The meeting was attended by prominent officials, including Dr. Ali Abu Sena, Executive Director of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), Ambassador Raouf Saad, Minister’s Advisor for Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and Mr. Mohamed Mohtamed, Assistant Minister for Environmental Planning and Investment, among others.
Egypt’s Support for the Development of CEDARE Amid Environmental Challenges
At the start of the meeting, Minister Fouad congratulated Dr. Fahmy on his new role and emphasized the center’s key role in enhancing regional and international environmental cooperation. She outlined the discussions with the Board of Trustees, which focused on ways to develop the center’s work in line with current environmental challenges in the region and the evolving needs for sustainable development.
Minister Fouad highlighted the importance of updating current policies and programs to ensure effective project management and high-quality implementation within agreed timelines. The meeting also covered preparations for the upcoming meeting of the CEDARE Board of Trustees, scheduled for February 2025, which coincides with the Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Organization for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), where Jordan will take over the chairmanship.
Enhancing Private Sector Participation and Investment in Environmental Projects
The Minister stressed the need to engage the private sector more actively in environmental projects, especially in areas such as protected areas, the circular economy, and green projects. She also underscored the importance of linking water issues with climate change adaptation in agriculture, noting that these will be central to CEDARE’s future work plan.
Regarding the circular economy, Dr. Fouad emphasized the goal of completing Egypt’s national circular economy strategy by June 2025, in cooperation with GIZ and with technical support from CEDARE. The Minister also called for global action to tackle plastic pollution, noting the importance of adopting an international, legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by mid-year, as part of the broader circular economy agenda and its links to water pollution and environmental preservation. She stressed the role of the private sector in supporting the extended producer responsibility framework.
Egypt’s Central Role in Coordinating Regional Environmental Agreements
Minister Fouad also discussed Egypt’s leading role in the global initiative to connect the three Rio Conventions—on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification—launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2018. She emphasized that CEDARE could benefit from this initiative by developing regional strategies for these agreements, allowing Egypt to coordinate between member countries on joint policies and activities and support their implementation at the regional level.
Future Work Plans
Dr. Khaled Fahmy expressed his appreciation for the support and trust extended by Minister Fouad and the Board of Trustees. He outlined his vision for developing CEDARE’s future work plan, focusing on enhancing its regional impact and aligning its efforts with the needs of Egypt and other member countries. Dr. Fahmy discussed strategies for attracting private investment and securing funding for the center’s projects and preparations for the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting.
Both parties agreed on the need to prepare a comprehensive work plan that includes the center’s key goals for the upcoming period, along with a clear timeline and implementation phases. This plan will be presented to the Board of Trustees for discussion, ensuring full alignment and coordination for effective project execution.
