The Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat stressed on the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United Nations (UN), through which several partnerships have been achieved advancing Egypt’s Vision 2030 and supporting the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Al-Mashat expressed that the Government of Egypt has implemented several cooperation programs with all United Nations’ agencies and programmes, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), adding that the government of Egypt is currently focused on strengthening these partnerships to achieve recovery and sustainable growth, in light of the new normal, post COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister participated in the reception ceremony of the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of the UNFPA, Ib Petersen; and the appointment of the Egyptian actress Amina Khalil, as the Honorary Ambassador of the UNFPA. The ceremony was also attended by Head of the National Council for Women, Dr. Maya Morsy; the U.S Ambassador to Egypt, Jonathan Cohen; United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Ms. Elena Panova; Regional Director for Arab States in UNFPA, Luay Shabaneh; and Country Representative of the UNFPA, Frederika Meijer. This is along with the presence of a representative from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and officials from the UN programs and agencies in Egypt. H.E. Al-Mashat referred to the development Egypt has achieved through hosting the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994, mainly focusing on the development of the Egyptian family, and women empowerment. The Minister stressed the vital role women play in the society and how this reflects on Egyptian families. The Minister further elaborated referring to the action plan of the “Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator'', launched by the Ministry of International Cooperation, together with the World Economic Forum and the National Council for Women (NCW) earlier this year. The accelerator is considered to be the first public-private collaboration model in Africa, and in the Middle East and North Africa region. Aiming to increase women’s participation in the labour force, close gender gaps in remuneration and investment, advance more women into management and leadership positions, and hardwire gender parity in the future of work, the accelerator is built to take proactive action to advance women’s economic empowerment. Al-Mashat stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world together confronting all types of challenges, in order to advance development efforts, through empowering women. She applauded the role played by the UNFPA in supporting national efforts and family planning policies, with the aim of preserving the health of all people, including the vulnerable groups. Within the same framework, H.E. Al-Mashat congratulated the Egyptian actress Amina Khalil, for her appointment as the Honorary Ambassador of the UNFPA, wishing her success in her next stage of supporting the national authorities’ efforts through cooperation with the UNFPA. The Minister also stressed on the importance of arts in altering societal perceptions about gender issues and women empowerment. H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat and Ms. Elena Panova, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt co-chaired in last May, the annual meeting of the Steering Committee for the Partnership Development Framework (UNPDF) between Egypt and the United Nations for 2018-2022, where they reviewed the most important achievements and implemented development projects and partnerships from 2023 to 2027, which supports Egypt’s development vision and is also in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The Ministry of International Cooperation is the National Coordinator of the United Nations Partnership Development Framework (UNPDF), co-chairing the UNPDF Steering Committee with the UN Resident Coordination, and several other national authorities. The Steering Committee of the UN Partnership Development Framework focuses on four main pillars: Inclusive Economic Development, Social Justice, Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resources Management, and Women’s Empowerment.