Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, delivered the opening speech during the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the J-PAL Middle East and North Africa office at the American University in Cairo (AUC). 

The event was attended by Dr. Ahmad Dallal, President of the American University in Cairo; Dr. Tarek Shawki, Former Minister of Education; Dr. Ahmed El Sayed, Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) for the Middle East and North Africa at the American University in Cairo; Ms. Laila Hosni, Executive Director of the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development; Mr. George Richards, Director of Jameel Community; and Professor Abhijit Banerjee, Director and Co-founder of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In her opening remarks, the Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation expressed pleasure in participating in the event celebrating five years since the establishment of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) office in the Middle East and North Africa, with its permanent headquarters at the American University in Cairo.

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat emphasized that the celebration is a culmination of a fundamental shift in public policy-making methodology, based on adopting rigorous standards, relying on data, and focusing on impact.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat explained that since its launch in the region, the J-PAL office has sought to consolidate a core idea: that public decisions should be built on solid scientific evidence. This idea represents a shared core with the vision of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, which places at the heart of its work the maintenance of overall economic stability, the implementation of structural reforms, and the promotion of economic diplomacy, in order to achieve sustainable and inclusive development.

Reflecting this approach, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reiterated that the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation is preparing to launch the National Narrative for Economic Development: Policies Supporting Growth and Employment. This represents a comprehensive vision for reforms aimed at achieving growth, providing job opportunities, and advancing resilience in the face of crises.

She also referred to the four main pillars of the narrative: financial and monetary stability and development finance, attracting foreign direct investment, supporting industrial and trade policies, and human capital development and improving labor market efficiency.

H.E. Minister Al-Mashat reaffirmed that in the current global context, there is an increasingly urgent need to adopt evidence-based public policies that are inclusive and equitable. She added that global shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change-related disasters, food and energy crises, and mounting debt burdens, have undermined progress and increased inequality. All these factors necessitate that governments adopt integrated economic, social, and environmental policies that are flexible and adaptable to changes.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat also touched upon the Economic and Social Development Plan, which allocates 47% of total public investments to human capital development and 50% of public projects to green projects, reflecting the state's commitment to environmental sustainability and the green economy.

She referred to the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which was established with the aim of supporting governments in conducting rigorous field experiments and building partnerships based on evidence-based policymaking, in addition to supporting efforts to scale up effective programs through social impact evaluation research of policies and initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa across nine key sectors: labor markets, business, finance, gender issues, health, education, social protection, environment, climate change and energy, and humanitarian action.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat also reviewed the cooperation between the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab in the Middle East and North Africa at the American University to launch the Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the Environment (HAPIE) to improve access to clean air and water. This represents a new extension of the Egyptian Impact Lab, reflecting Egypt's commitment to evidence-based policymaking, sustainable development, and climate action.

She added that since its establishment, the lab has seen tangible activity, with more than 13 evaluation studies launched in 12 different governorates, involving over 36,000 participants. This work is the result of more than 30 active partnerships with government entities, the private sector, and development partners.

H.E. Minister Al-Mashat highlighted the lab's four areas of work, which include: social protection and poverty reduction, where it works with the National Social Insurance Organization to expand social protection coverage to include informal sector workers and their families, in addition to education, employment, and the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises, and women's empowerment and family development through the "Tahweesha" digital savings program. 

Furthermore, the climate and environment policies pillar includes the Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the Environment (HAPIE) within the framework of the “Haya Karima” initiative, where work is underway in the first phase villages to provide water purification units, aiming to improve water quality, enhance public health, and increase sustainable use of water resources, thus contributing to building more resilient communities in the face of climate change.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat confirmed that this excellent model of cooperation between the Egyptian government and international think tanks and research institutions reflects the state's commitment to embedding a culture of evidence-based policymaking and expanding the impact of effective public policies, thereby supporting the achievement of sustainable development goals and consolidating the principles of fairness and efficiency in resource allocation.