During the 46th Session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy, the Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat held a number of bilateral meetings with many development partners to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation and stimulate food security efforts in Egypt.
Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for African Affairs
During the meeting with Ms. Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General for African Affairs, the Minister pointed to the ongoing preparations to launch the United Nations and the imminent launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027, which represents the comprehensive cooperation document between the two sides to support the country’s 2030 vision.
The preparation of the new framework took into account about 100 strategies and action plans in the joint country analysis on which the preparation of the strategic framework was based and participated in consecutive consultations and meetings of more than 40 national authorities and 28 UN agencies in order to reach a framework that expresses national priorities and promotes inclusive development efforts and climate action through its main axes.
Al-Mashat stressed the importance of strengthening UN action to support development efforts in Africa, which is experiencing significant economic and social challenges that are reflected in the continent's development trajectory, requiring coordination and concerted efforts to stimulate long-term green investments and promote innovative financing mechanisms that stimulate private sector participation, especially as the continent contributes a small percentage of global emissions while not having adequate financing to address the impacts of climate change.
Vice President of the African Development Bank
Al-Mashat met with Dr Kevin Kariuki, Vice-President, Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, African Development Bank Group (AfDB), where they discussed the ongoing partnerships between the Government of Egypt and the AfDB in light of the 2022-2026 country strategy, as well as the existing cooperation with the bank in the framework of the implementation of the Country Platform for the Nexus for Water, Food and Energy (NWFE Program), and preparations for its annual meetings that will be held in Sharm El Sheikh this year.
During the meeting, the Minister stressed the close and extensive partnership between Egypt and the AfDB to support efforts in achieving development and regional integration, which the bank has contributed since its inception to the financing of a number of important development projects in various sectors through development financing, grants and technical assistance. The AfDB provided more than $6 billion, of which more than a billion dollars were directed to finance 24 projects for the private sector.
Al-Mashat noted the joint work to support development efforts in the light of the 2022-2026 Joint Country Strategy Paper, and also stated the next phase of cooperation would encompass private sector participation in development. Moreover, Al-Mashat also touched upon the ongoing cooperation with the bank on the coordination of work on the water pillar of the NWFE Program, expressing her appreciation for the role of the AfDB in coordinating efforts among development partners at the level of mobilizing the different financing and technical support needed to design water axis projects within the programme.
In another context, the Minister discussed preparations for Egypt to host its 2023 Annual Meetings in Sharm El-Sheikh, in its fifty-eighth session. This will represent an opportunity to strengthen cooperation at the continental level on various development challenges and their impact on the current situation at the global level, and the importance of these meetings in promoting integration between Egypt and African countries through the exchange of experiences and presentation of the country’s efforts in the field of development cooperation.