● Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat: “COP27 witnessed the signing of 12 cooperation agreements between Egypt and development partners to implement NWFE & NWFE+ projects.”
● The NWFE Program aims to mobilize $14.7 billion in climate finance and the NWFE + includes sustainable transport projects.
● Cooperation documents and joint political declarations during COP27 reflect the support of countries in the green transition in Egypt.
● The meeting witnessed a discussion of the progress path in mobilizing the various financing mechanisms for the program and the implementation plan that the Government of Egypt is working on in cooperation between all relevant entities.
● Work on setting an exceptional and accelerated path for the implementation of projects, in cooperation with the directives of the political leadership, in order to advance green transformation efforts
● They discussed n upcoming technical mission from Climate Investment Funds (CIF) to discuss developments in implementing its initiative to promote climate investments through development grants in Egypt
● UN: “The NWFE Program represents an important framework for partnership for a just and inclusive transition and stimulating climate action, and the United Nations has a lot to offer in this regard.”
● The International Fund for Agricultural Development: “Food projects within the NWFE Program enhance resilience, and we are pleased with our strategic partnership with the Government of Egypt.”
● African Development Bank: We are continuing to curate partnerships and discuss with other development partners to implement the water pillar within the program.
Within the framework of the series of joint strategic dialogues between the Ministry of International Cooperation and the Development Partners Group in Egypt (DPG) headed by the United Nations and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, UN Resident Coordinator Elena Panova, and Jason Taylor, the USAID Acting Director held a joint multi-stakeholder platform meeting to present the latest developments with regards to the ongoing partnership for green projects in the Country Platform Nexus of Water, Food and Energy NWFE Program, as well as NWFE+ which incorporates the transport pillar.
The multi-stakeholder platform was held with the participation of over 30 multilateral and bilateral development partners and the technical teams of the Ministry of International Cooperation. Among the participants was: Abdourahmane Diaw, the African Development Bank (AfDB) AfDB Country Manager, Alfredo Abad, the Head of the Regional Representative Office at the European Investment Bank (EIB), Khalid Hamza, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Director in Egypt, Alessandro Fracassetti, the UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, as well as representatives from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), UN Women, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Programme (WFP), World Bank Group (WBG), representatives of the embassies of Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland, and other representatives of multilateral and bilateral development partners, as well as the technical team of the Ministry of International Cooperation.
During the meeting, the Minister reviewed, with the development partners, the path of progress in mobilizing the various financing mechanisms for the NWFE program projects and its various sectors. H.E. also referred to the implementation plan that the Government of Egypt is working to implement, through a precise and tight governance structure, with an accelerated pace in line with political leadership directives that enhance Egypt’s transition from pledges to implementation.
Al-Mashat stressed the importance of the multi-stakeholder platforms as one of the tools that takes place through holding strategic dialogues and discussions with development partners to maximize the effectiveness of development cooperation. The most recent one on NWFE was held in cooperation with the USAID and the UN within the DPG, with the aim of strengthening cooperation with regard to the NWFE and NWFE + projects.
The Minister thanked the multilateral and bilateral development partners for their fruitful cooperation with the Government of Egypt to meet development requirements and priorities in various fields, noting that this meeting is the second. The first meeting was held with the DPG in July 2022 in the presence of the relevant national authorities, where the first launch of the NWFE program took place. At the time, the meeting represented a start towards coordinating joint action in this framework, before this cooperation was signed during the COP27 with the signing of 4 partnership agreements, 6 letters of intent, a memorandum of understanding and an agreement to enhance the country's efforts in the field of green transformation through the program.
H.E. also referred to the joint political declaration issued by the Arab Republic of Egypt, Germany and the United States of America during COP27 which reflects the magnitude of international support and applause to the NWFE program, as a model for national platforms aimed at stimulating climate action that highlights what has been achieved so far through joint cooperation, and the implementation of projects in the various fields.
The Minister noted that NWFE includes 9 projects with investments of $14.7 billion, as the energy pillar includes a mega project to replace thermal power plants with renewable energy at a value of $10 billion, and the food security pillar includes 5 projects: Adaptation of Crop Production in the Nile Valley and Delta, Adaptation of Northern Delta Affected by Sea Level Rise, Resilience for Most Vulnerable and Marginal Regions, On-farm Irrigation of Old Lands, and Establishing an Early Warning System; with investments of $3.35 billion. Moreover, the water pillar includes 3 projects with investments of $1.35 billion, with the: Water Desalination Using Renewable Energy project, Scaling-up Solar Pumps for Irrigation project, and Improving Agricultural Climate Resilience by Modernizing On-Farm Practices project.
Additionally, The NWFE+ program includes several projects to enhance sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation efforts, with an investment of $3.5 billion, that reflects the integration of the country's efforts to achieve green and comprehensive transformation in various sectors.
Al-Mashat touched on the developments of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) initiative on nature and climate investments, as the Egyptian file for the “Novi” program came first at the level of countries in North Africa and Europe within the initiative, which is scheduled to provide grants worth $500 million to countries. In the coming period, a technical mission from the CIF Foundation will be dispatched to hold meetings with all relevant ministries in Egypt to develop a clear action plan to benefit from the investment plan of the initiative.
Al-Mashat referred to developments of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) initiative on nature and climate investments, as the Egyptian file for the NWFE program came first at the level of countries in North Africa and Europe within the initiative, scheduled to provide grants worth $500 million to countries. In the coming period, a technical mission from the CIF will be dispatched to hold meetings with all relevant ministries in Egypt to develop a clear action plan to benefit from the investment plan of the initiative.
UN Resident Coordinator Elena Panova and co-chair of the DPG said that the NWFE Program represents an important framework for partnership in order to achieve a just transition. Panova added that the partnership with the Government of Egypt is key in this framework, explaining that the UN has a lot to be done in the light of cooperation with the country to stimulate the green transition and implement the NWFE projects.
H.E. stressed the need for transformation and just transition not be in the field of energy only, so the NWFE program represents a model for comprehensive transition through the sectors of water, food, energy and sustainable transport, to enhance adaptation efforts and mitigate the consequences of climate change.
The representative of the AfDB k in Egypt said, "The NWFE program is a major tool in cooperation with the Government of Egypt, and I would like to thank Egypt for creating this platform. We, as the main development partner in the water pillar within the program, work with all development partners to develop programs through partnerships and mobilization of blended finance.”
The representative of the IFAD said, "The NWFE program enhances resilience through vital sectors, namely water, food and energy, through integrated and sustainable management. We are pleased with our strategic partnership with the government in the food pillar within the program to support food security efforts,” noting the availability of blended financing, which is a major tool for implementing the program's projects. “During our discussions with development partners, we have seen great interest from many to contribute to these projects that stimulate climate action and enhance food security efforts and adaptation to climate change."
The EBRD about the energy pillar within the NWFE program, pointing to a lot of work that is being carried out on-ground in order to create partnerships with development partners to implement the energy pillar, and to move forward in supporting the country’s efforts to shift to energy. renewable. "We are ready to support the program's other pillars in the areas of food and water, in cooperation with other development partners," the EBRD said.
The EIB, which is the main development partner in the NWFE+ program, which includes sustainable transport projects, expressed their full support for the program, based on the main partnership with Egypt for more than 40 years, in addition to the bank's participation in supporting other pillars in the water, food and energy sectors. The EIB confirmed the continuation of technical missions to set priorities for cooperation with government officials to move forward in the implementation of various projects.
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) stated, "We are pleased with the partnership with the Government of Egypt in the NWFE program, and we have already started discussions with other development partners to contribute to the food pillar within the program, as well as water, in a way that enhances the development of the agricultural sector and adaptation to climate changes.
The WBG affirmed the bank's keenness to contribute effectively to the implementation of the NWFE program projects, which comes at the same time as the completion of the joint country strategy between the government and the bank for the next five years, noting their commitment to supporting food security efforts.
It is worth noting that during COP27, a high-level event was attended by the Prime Minister, 8 ministers, as well as 16 multilateral and bilateral development partners, where partnership agreements, letters of intent and memorandums of understanding were signed in order to mobilize various financing mechanisms to implement the NWFE program.
The Ministry of International Cooperation launched the multi-stakeholder platforms one of the principles of Economic Diplomacy in 2020 with the aim of creating interaction and integration between government efforts and development partners, and the role played by the private sector, representatives of the business community, civil society and relevant parties to implement Egypt's 2030 vision through international partnerships. Over the past three years, several multi-stakeholder platforms have been held, including those that cover digitalization, private sector, South-South cooperation, and small and medium micro finance.
What is the DPG?
The DPG in Egypt is a gathering of multilateral and bilateral development partners who work in partnership with the Government of Egypt to cooperate and consult in support of development efforts. The group is chaired by the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office in Egypt and a representative of the development partners, stimulating cooperation with the government.