Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat took part in the virtual “European Academy of Diplomacy: Academy of Young Diplomats” on March 28, moderated by Katarzyna Pisarska, Founder and Director of the European Academy of Diplomacy in Warsaw, Poland, and the Visegrad School of Political Studies run in cooperation with the Council of Europe.
The European Academy of Diplomacy (EAD) is a non-governmental, non-for-profit diplomatic academy in Europe, that aims to inspire the next generation of leaders. In an audience of over 140 mid-career professionals across 47 countries, Al-Mashat spoke about how leaders are set on reprioritizing to bring the world closer to an effective sustainable action plan.
“Leaders of today are trying to preempt future crises, by putting in place strategic plans to ensure sustainability. Crises come unannounced, and the pandemic has proven that sustainability should be placed at the forefront of our recovery plans. For countries to be able to manage the ‘unexpected’, reform has to be a continuous process,” said Al-Mashat.
As global challenges require multilateral solutions, the challenge at hand is to utilize the lessons learned from the pandemic and push forward the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The future is about striving for better, not only for ourselves but for the future generations who will reap the fruits of what we seed today,” said Al-Mashat. The Ministry of International Cooperation sees that sustainable development is at the cornerstone of economic growth through “purpose-driven” decision making.
The pandemic has re-emphasized, and shown firsthand, that connectivity and technology are key to be able to build back a better, greener future. Considering the massive reliance on digital that the world witnessed, Al-Mashat explained that, “for the world to survive through the pandemic on the social, economic and educational levels, everyone had to reset to digital platforms and virtual connectivity.”
For the impact of technology to be effective and efficient, closing the digital gap is necessary. In line with the “Leave No One Behind” mindset that Al-Mashat expressed, the pandemic has shown that an inclusive future means closing economic, digital and gender gaps to ensure that the economic ecosystem grows globally.
Another major element lies in transparency. When it comes to the effective implementation of reform, the Government of Egypt, on both the health and economic fronts, has been keen on transparently communicating to its people and stakeholders on its commitment to ensure a sustainable recovery.
“It has been quite the year... As future leaders, you are quite fortunate to live first hand the dynamicity and agility of the political and economic worlds in dire times. You are witnessing a global transformation and together, with positive action, you can start the wheels of change,” said Al-Mashat.
In May 2020, H.E. Minister Al Mashat joined the Academy in a virtual webinar titled “Pandemics: Reviving Multieralism & Strengthened Cooperation” discussing the importance of cooperation and collaboration to rebuild for inclusive economic development.
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