● Germany and the United Nations Development Programme host the Minister of International Cooperation to review the Egyptian experience in launching the “NWFE” program and debt swap to promote development and climate action.
● Al-Mashat participates in the “Sustainable Development Impact Meetings” of the World Economic Forum.
● The Ministry of International Cooperation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are organizing a joint event on increasing the financial value of climate change adaptation projects.
● The Minister of International Cooperation will participate in a high-level event to implement the World Economic Forum initiative to maximize the role of philanthropic organizations in financing climate action.
The Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat headed to New York to participate in the Climate Ambition Summit within the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as part of a high-level Egyptian delegation.
The summit represents an important step towards strengthening the global will to accelerate the pace and scale of a just transition towards a renewable energy based and climate-resilient global economy. The summit will be held with the participation of António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN.
The Climate Ambition Summit comes within the framework of the activities of the 2023 United Nations GA, which are held under the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”.
The participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the Climate Ambition Summit comes as an affirmation of the successive steps taken by the country to advance climate action and enhance development and green transformation efforts, especially in light of Egypt’s presidency of the United Nations Climate Conference COP27, and the effective measures that have been taken. A key example is the launch of the national platform “NWFE”, which is a model for national platforms aimed at mobilizing climate finance from multilateral and bilateral development partners, and stimulating private sector participation in financing mitigation and adaptation projects to climate change.
Moreover, the Minister’s participation in high-level meetings of the United Nations coincides with the completion of the Egypt - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027, launched last May, establishing a new phase of constructive cooperation between the government and organizations. and UN agencies in Egypt to advance multilateral cooperation efforts and implement the SDGs.
In tandem, the Minister will participate in many high-level events and hold many bilateral meetings with multilateral and bilateral development partners, including the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Sustainable Development Impact Meetings” from September 18 to 22. This is held to coincide with the UNGA and includes the participation of decision-makers, politicians, business community leaders and governments from various countries of the world, to accelerate progress towards the SDGs in light of the changes and challenges that the world is going through.
Within the framework of following up on the implementation of the WEF initiative to enhance the role of philanthropic organizations in climate action: Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA), launched at the Davos Forum at the beginning of this year, the Minister of International Cooperation participates in a high-level session alongside the leaders of the WEF and representatives of the government and private sectors and philanthropic organizations on developments of the initiative and its integration with the national platform for green projects, the “NWFE” program. The initiative is based on basic pillars, including comprehensive solutions to enhance climate action, preserve the environment, support inclusion, cooperation between the government and private sectors and non-profit organizations, and mobilize new capital.
The Minister is also participating in the high-level dialogue on “Financing for Development” for the year 2023, within the activities of the high-level week of the 78th UNGA themed “Financing the SDGs for a World Where No One is Left Behind”. This is being held in light of the successive global crises and economic challenges that pose a threat to financing the SDGs.
In confirmation of Egyptian leadership and its role in promoting climate action and the leadership it showed at COP27, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are hosting Al-Mashat,, along with a high-level group of speakers and government representatives, at the headquarters of the Permanent Mission of Germany at the UN, in a high-level event titled “Building the Economies of the Future: The Power of Investing in NDCs and LTS to Deliver the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.”
The speakers are scheduled to review the role of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and long-term financing to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, and the importance of financing for the transition towards clean energy and expanding the scope of nature-based solutions. During her participation, the Minister will present Egypt’s efforts to implement the Paris Climate Agreement and the SDGs, the experience of launching the NWFE platform, and the importance of the debt swap mechanism to enhance climate action and development.
The various sessions in which the Minister of International Cooperation participates will also witness a review of the most important initiatives of the climate conference, the most important of which is the issuance of the Sharm El-Sheikh Guidebook for Just Financing, which enhances international efforts to mobilize climate finance.
Additionally, the Minister will speak at the high-level round table organized by the Glasgow Financial Alliance (GFANZ), the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, about mobilizing private investments to enhance climate action in emerging markets and developing countries. H.E. will also participate in the advisory board meeting of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), as well as the Advisory Board of the UN initiative Generation Unlimited (GenU), to discuss preparing new generations for green and digital transformation.
During the activities, the Ministry of International Cooperation, in cooperation with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will organize a meeting of the advisory committee to increase the financial value of climate change adaptation projects.
The Minister of International Cooperation will also participate in the celebration organized by the Women Political Leader (WPL) Foundation, in the presence of prominent women leaders from various countries of the world and government officials, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of its founding, and in celebration of its role in enhancing women’s empowerment efforts and increasing their influence globally.
In the same context, the Minister participates in the round table on the Advisory Council for the Climate Policy Initiative, and H.E. will also participate in a roundtable discussion to increase support for young entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries, organized by UNICEF, UNDP and the UNICEF, UNDP, Tony Elumelu Foundation, specializing in entrepreneurship in Africa to promote economic growth, eradicate poverty and enhance employment opportunities.