H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat:
The SDGs Localization Reports are a Planning Tool that Enhances the Effectiveness of the Funding Formula for Governorates
Development of an Interactive Digital Platform to Display and Analyze Sustainable Development Goals Indicators at the Governorate Level
Under the patronage and presence of the Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation launched the 2nd edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Localization Reports in the Governorates, during the activities of the National Conference to Announce the Winners of the 3rd Round of the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects, in the presence of H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy for Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, a number of governors, development partners and UN officials, and leaders of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation.
H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation, affirmed that the Sustainable Development Goals localization reports are one of the planning tools launched by the Ministry to measure progress at the level of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the governorates, in order to enhance the effectiveness of the funding formula for the governorates, and accelerate the pace of achieving development goals in Egypt.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat added that the Ministry is working on developing an interactive digital platform on the SDGs indicators at the governorate level, to display and analyze the SDGs indicators at the governorate level, and provide a general and comprehensive overview of the status of sustainable development in all Egyptian governorates at the level of the international goal, as well as presenting a complete picture of the status of the SDGs at the level of performance indicators in each governorate.
H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat pointed out that the SDGs data platform in the governorates will contribute to informing governors and policymakers of the updated data on a regular basis, thus enhancing the evidence-based policy-making process and the localization of the SDGs in general in Egypt, in addition to enabling and enhancing the capacities of local governments and governorates to advance in achieving the SDGs, as well as making the SDGs data available at the governorate level.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation mentioned that the 2nd edition of the SDGs localization reports builds on the 1st edition, with the inclusion of a number of developments, in light of the government's continuous efforts to monitor and evaluate sustainable development indicators at the national and local levels; believing that the essence of localization is to follow a bottom-up approach.
For her part, Dr. Mona Essam, Assistant Minister of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation for Sustainable Development Affairs, presented the Ministry's efforts in preparing the SDGs localization reports in the various governorates, explaining that localization means translating the SDGs into executive actions that are appropriate to the local context, and includes raising awareness of development goals and monitoring progress towards their achievement, while emphasizing the principle of leaving no one behind.
She mentioned that the localization of the SDGs came within four main institutional measures that Egypt committed to adopting at the 2023 SDGs Summit, with the aim of accelerating the achievement of Egyptian development goals and priorities, and that the 1st edition of the SDGs localization reports was launched in partnership with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2021, where 27 reports covering all governorates were launched.
She pointed out that the framework for activating the localization of the SDGs in Egypt includes the participation of stakeholders, linking localization to financial planning, in addition to raising awareness, evidence-based policies, and initiatives implemented on the ground.
She said that the SDGs localization reports provide an overview and systematic assessment of the current status of the implementation of the SDGs at the governorate level, and aim to use the available data strategically to highlight both the achievements made and identify development gaps and relevant indicators that need more attention. This contributes to the design and implementation of policies and programs that respond to local needs, and ultimately enhances comprehensive and sustainable development at the national level.
Regarding the 2nd edition of the reports, Dr. Mona Essam explained that 50 indicators were covered compared to 32 indicators in the 1st edition, where the coverage rate of indicators was increased, with the support of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, in cooperation with the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research (Baseera) to determine quantitative targets for the additional indicators in the current edition, based on the same methodology in the 1st edition reports, to ensure consistency.
She continued that the same methodology for ranking governorates used in the first edition was used, which allows the governorate to analyze the extent of progress or decline in the various indicators, compare its performance with other governorates, and determine its position within the national context.
She emphasized the importance of localizing the SDGs, which includes the effective guidance of development efforts and responding to local needs, through the systematic evaluation of the performance of each governorate in the indicators of the international goals, which contributes to achieving more inclusive and equitable development among the various governorates, and accelerating the implementation of the SDGs at the national level, pointing to the future path of the SDGs localization reports.