Cairo – Mubasher: The Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, Rania El-Mashat, held a meeting to discuss strengthening the partnership between Egypt and the United Nations (2018-2022) and their cooperation file to ensure that it is in line with Egypt's development goals, in the presence of Randa Abul-Hassan, Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Ambassador Lamia Mukhaimer, Director of International Cooperation for Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting comes within Egypt’s framework of partnership with the United Nations for 2018-2022, which is composed of four outcomes: namely inclusive economic development, social justice, women's empowerment, and sustainable management of natural resources. It aims to accelerate progress in achieving the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
El-Mashat noted that the partnership framework with the United Nations until 2022 was designed through inclusive engagement of different stakeholders in society, including ministries, United Nations agencies, civil society organisations, and the private sector, ensuring that all development efforts are harmonised and streamlined.
The minister also shed light on the development initiatives during the pandemic, which focused on protecting citizens from the virus, accelerating the pace of digital transformation, supporting medium, small and micro enterprises, and supporting the national strategy for the empowerment of women.
For her part, Randa Abul-Hassan, Resident Representative of the UNDP, reviewed the cooperation file with the Egyptian government in several areas, including the comprehensive response to the economic and social repercussions of the pandemic.
She explained that the UNDP will work to strengthen institutional frameworks and partnership, through development solutions that reduce poverty by promoting decent work, increasing resilience to climate and health risks, and empowering women.
Abul-Hassan noted that the total number of ongoing projects of the UNDP in Egypt is 50 in more than 20 governorates, with $60 million allocated in 2019 for these projects. The current year budget amounts to $66 million, in which $1 million was allocated to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.
