By Mary Nady,
In the context of a series of meetings initiated by the ministry with multilateral and bilateral development partners, H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, met with Ms. Elena Panova, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, and their respective teams.
The meeting focused on discussing the strategic partnership priorities between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Nations, following the merging of the ministries of planning, economic development, and international cooperation.
It also addressed efforts to integrate developmental cooperation projects with government investment expenditures, aiming to drive qualitative economic development and maximize and sustain its impact for the benefit of citizens.
Egypt – UNSDCF 2023-2027
During the meeting, the Minister welcomed the UN Resident Coordinator to Egypt and emphasized the historic and constructive relationship between Egypt and the United Nations.
This relationship encompasses several key areas, foremost of which is the implementation of the Strategic Partnership for UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the 2023-2027 period.
The Minister highlighted the importance of developing innovative mechanisms and tools to implement national priorities in the upcoming phase, which include fostering inclusive macroeconomic growth through investment in human capital (human development), integrated industrial development, and implementing economic and structural reforms that stimulate and enhance the competitiveness of the private sector, investment attraction, and green transformation.
The meeting also reviewed the key results of the first year of implementing the Strategic Partnership Framework between the two parties, across its five pillars: 1) Fostering Human Capital, 2) Sustainable & Inclusive Economic Development, 3) Enhanced Climate Resilience & Efficiency of Resource Management, and 5) Women’s Empowerment.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat also reviewed the various aspects of the partnership, discussing the ministry’s responsibilities and its role in managing and enhancing the effectiveness of government investment expenditures by setting national priorities and creating space for the private sector.
She emphasized the ministry’s role in advancing international partnerships to drive Egypt’s 2030 development vision, asserting that integration between these two areas optimizes the benefits of available resources.
National Program for Structural Reforms
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat discussed the new government’s priorities aimed at stimulating inclusive and sustainable economic growth and empowering the private sector, as well as the Development Policy Financing (DPF) being implemented by the ministry in cooperation with the EU, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and other bilateral development partners to support structural reforms.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat underscored the importance of unifying the cooperation framework and integration among various partners under the three priorities of the Development Policy Financing and Structural Reforms Program:enhancing the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy and improving the business environment, supporting macroeconomic resilience, and stimulating green transformation.
National Strategy for Financing Sustainable Development Goals
They discussed preparations for the results groups under the UNSDCF, and the National Integrated Strategy for Financing SDGs in Egypt, which was developed in collaboration between the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation and the Joint SDG Fund.
They also discussed preparations for its announcement during the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York this September, and H.E. Al-Mashat’s participation in the General Assembly meetings and the Summit of the Future.
Investing in Human Capital Development
The two sides discussed the stages of preparing the Human Development Report 2025 and Egypt’s focus on vulnerable groups, emphasizing the importance of highlighting national efforts to enhance human development as a key and intersecting component of comprehensive development.
They also affirmed the need to simplify messages, studies, and analyses to reach various segments of the population.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maximizing the impact of grants provided to the Egyptian government by development partners for implementing projects under the cooperation between Egypt and the United Nations.
They also discussed the priorities of the state’s investment plan in human development for the fiscal year 2024/2025, including priorities in human development, industrial development, and efforts to localize Sustainable Development Goals in the governorates.
Automated Information Management System (AIMS)
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of data quality and the study of developmental activities and projects implemented by UN agencies in Egypt across various governorates.
She highlighted the progress made in integrating UN projects into the AIMS Automated Information Management System, which serves as a mechanism to link and unify data related to agreements, projects, and developmental cooperation programs with development partners, facilitating information availability, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and supporting decision-making.