H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, met with a delegation from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to discuss and explore future steps in the path of joint cooperation between Egypt and the Organization in various fields, in support of the National Agenda for Structural Reforms.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Luis de Mello, Director of Country Studies Branch in the Economics Department; Mr. Antonio Gomes, Deputy Director of OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise; Mr. Carlos Conde, Head of the Middle East and Africa Division; and Ms. Charlotte Goemans, Programme Coordinator and Policy Analyst at OECD-OCDE.
During the meeting, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat reviewed the most prominent achievements made within the framework of cooperation with the Organization, pointing to the issuance of the first Economic Survey of Egypt by the OECD, which included 60 recommendations, cooperation with the Central Bank in preparing the National Strategy for Financial Awareness, and the Artificial Intelligence Review for Egypt which contributed to updating the National AI Strategy, in addition to including Egypt in the "Digital Transformation" tool to support innovation, as well as outstanding contributions to climate action through the review of Egypt's Green Growth Policies. This also included initial reports on low-carbon hydrogen and transport network financing, as well as strengthening institutional and legislative reforms through supporting the capacities of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, and prioritizing women's empowerment through Egypt's hosting of the Women's Economic Empowerment Forum (WEEF) 2024 and the launch of the EU-OECD project to support women entrepreneurs.
The two sides also discussed future steps, which include completing the ongoing reviews during 2025, covering the fields of: Agriculture and Food, Statistics, Women's Economic Empowerment, Trade in Value-Added, Innovation, Education, Business Dynamics and Productivity, Infrastructure Governance, Investment Frameworks, and the Procurement Framework for State-Owned Enterprises.
The meeting included a discussion of Egypt taking on the Co-Chairmanship of the MENA-OECD Initiative for Governance and Competitiveness for Development for the period 2026-2030, methods for organizing the Initiative's Ministerial Conference, as well as organizing the closing event of the Egypt-OECD Program to celebrate its achievements and launch the results of its various projects.
Dr. Al-Mashat reaffirmed that Egypt is proud to assume the Co-Chairmanship of the MENA-OECD Initiative, as it allows for an effective contribution to shaping regional priorities.
Regarding the Co-Chairmanship of the MENA-OECD Initiative, Minister Al-Mashat emphasized that Egypt will work on formulating a clear roadmap that includes expected outputs, mechanisms for institutional coordination, and linking the Initiative's priorities with the national agenda.
Concerning future cooperation, the meeting discussed the Bilateral Program Evaluation, which includes an independent external evaluation according to the Organization's standards and an internal evaluation led by the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation. This evaluation will form the basis for determining the shape of future cooperation, with a focus on sustainability and measuring the actual impact of the reforms. Future cooperation prospects were also discussed, focusing on supporting the implementation of reforms, improving the business environment, supporting the private sector, and accelerating the green transition.