● Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat: The automated system enhances the Ministry's role in the follow-up, evaluation and decision-making processes.
● The system works to establish governance and transparency mechanisms to follow up on development financing to maximize the return on development cooperation efforts.
● The system is a national platform developed for linking and unifying data related to development cooperation projects to ensure full coordination and availability of information with national entities.
● 92 officials from ministries and relevant agencies have benefited from the system so far.
The Ministry of International Cooperation launched the automated system for data management and follow-up of development financing for projects within the framework of the country's digital transformation and to enhance the principles of transparency and governance within development cooperation efforts with multilateral and bilateral development partners.
This came during the event organized by the Ministry of International Cooperation to launch the annual report, where a detailed explanation of the automated system for data management and follow-up of development financing for projects was presented to multilateral and bilateral development partners, responding to their inquiries and stating the benefit of the system and its role as an effective link between the ministry and national entities benefiting from development funds.
Al-Mashat said that the system is a mechanism for linking and unifying data related to development cooperation agreements, projects and programs with development partners in order to ensure that relevant information is available at all levels between the ministry and all national entities in order to enhance its role in the follow-up, evaluation and decision-making support process.
H.E. stated that the new system monitors the financial and technical performance of projects funded by multilateral and bilateral development partners, extracts periodic reports for decision-makers, and shares data with project-related entities.
In this context, the ministry has been keen on holding training courses for beneficiaries and operators of the system with all beneficiary national entities on how to use the new system starting last February, where 92 officials benefited. The training courses shall continue until the completion of the training on the system.
Al-Mashat indicated that this is to complement the system of governance and transparency established by the ministry through the principles of economic diplomacy, to maximize the return from development cooperation efforts and achieve comprehensive and sustainable development through effective communication with various relevant entities from development partners or national parties. This helps ensure that financing for development is more effective and measurable by enabling stakeholders with access to information about implemented programs and available opportunities.
Through the system, the beneficiaries from national entities can continuously review everything related to the implementation of development cooperation projects within the framework of the ongoing portfolio of the ministry with multilateral and bilateral development partners, as well as identify the sectors most benefiting from the funds that come in light of the country's priorities, efforts and the government work program rather than the separate contribution of each development partner in each of the economic sectors benefiting from the funds.
The automated system also allows the contribution of development partners to the total portfolio of development cooperation and the change of this contribution according to the rates of project implementation, as well as the development goals specified in each of the projects, the classification of projects according to the implementation position until the project is completely closed and periodic follow-up of projects that face challenges in order to enhance communication between the relevant entities to address these challenges.
Egypt works with multilateral and bilateral development partners, through the framework of international cooperation and development financing, with continuous strategies and partnerships, which the Ministry of International Cooperation updates every three or five years, according to the country's development priorities, the government's work program, the 2030 agenda, and through coordination between national entities and development partners, in order to benefit from these strategies in implementing various projects and programs in various development sectors.
Over the past year, joint country strategies were launched with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency, as well as other partners.
The approval of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group has been recently announced on the new country strategy between Egypt and the bank for the period 2023-2027. Moreover, preparations are underway to launch the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023 - 2027.
During the past week, Al-Mashat launched the ministry's annual report for the year 2022 titled "International Partnerships for Sustainable Development: From Pledges to Implementation", which monitors -in three sections- the efforts that took place over the past year to support the Government of Egypt’s agenda, including its 2030 vision, the SDGs, the National Climate Change Strategy 2050, and various partnerships to enhance international and regional cooperation.