Al-Mashat Says Multilateral Co-op A Key Way to Overcome Global Energy & Food Crises

On Tuesday, the Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania A. Al-Mashat said that the world is in need of enhanced multilateral cooperation to move forward; overcoming the energy and food crises and economic challenges, and enhancing development efforts.

These remarks came during the “Future Proofing Multilateralism for a Resilient and Inclusive Recovery” session, as part of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, under the theme “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

The session was chaired by H.E. Collen Vixen Kelapile, the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and attend by: Liu Zhenmin, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); Jose Antonio Ocampo, the Chair of the Development Policy Committee; H.E. Danilo Türk, the Former President of Slovenia; Chido Mpemba, the Special Envoy on Youth of the African Union, and many other representatives of international institutions.

The Minister explained that what unites countries, and the common denominator between them, is the mission to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Al-Mashat adds that each country seeks to implement these goals according to its national vision, explaining that the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that joint, collaborative action is the only way to overcome current successive challenges.

Al-Mashat noted that through multilateral cooperation, the process of exchanging development experiences can be enhanced, and that the projects that have been proven successful, can be re-implemented in other countries. This helps in saving both time and resources, pointing out that Egypt is enhancing cooperation with Africa through South-South cooperation.

H.E. said that Egypt seeks to increase development cooperation through joint relations with multilateral and bilateral development partners, including the United Nations, in implementing the SDGs based on national priorities, while also strengthening relations with all other development partners through the careful formulation of projects, and a transparent approach.

Moreover, the Minister also explained that with Egypt hosting COP27, the country aims to advance the efforts of the international community, and stimulate the transition from pledges to implementation, while also encouraging the international financial institutions and multilateral development banks to finance developing countries and emerging economies, to expand de-risking tools, and to utilize innovative financing mechanisms that motivate private sector investment in green projects.

In that light, Al-Mashat pointed out that the private sector has a vital and indispensable role to play in financing development projects related to climate action, in turn also supporting food security.

Al-Mashat stressed the importance of food security, especially within the African continent, to conserve resources and to enhance adaptation measures; adding that climate change requires a shared responsibility with all relevant parties.

To that end, the Minister called on the African countries, international institutions, private sector, governments and civil society, to effectively contribute to achieving the goals of COP27, ensuring a transition from pledges to implementation, preserving development gains, increasing resilience, and progress towards the SDGs.

Also during the same session, Al-Mashat reviewed the efforts made by the Government of Egypt, in cooperation with the UN to prepare the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027, representing the framework for cooperation between both sides and enhancing national efforts in achieving the SDGs.

Additionally, Al-Mashat explained that the SDGs, in accordance with the national agenda, is the common denominator in all strategies being prepared with multilateral and bilateral cooperation. While the current food and energy challenges threaten global progress, multilateralism, and learning from the experiences of the past few years, is key in moving forward. The Minister stressed the country’s approach to consolidate the participation of all relevant entities; government, private sector, and civil society, in overcoming the challenges facing development.

Over the course of 2021 and 2022, the Ministry of International Cooperation and the UN Office in Egypt, chaired the Steering Committee meetings on the UNSDCF, including over 30 national entities and 130 representatives of development partners, private sector, civil society, and academics to develop the UNSDCF, reflecting Egypt’s commitment to establishing strategies with development partners, in line with the SDGs.

THE UNSDCF addresses the following focus areas: strengthening human capital through equal access to quality services, social protection and social justice; enhancing people-centered inclusive sustainable economic development driven by productivity growth, decent jobs and integrating the informal economy; improving climate resilience and efficiency of natural resource management for all people in a sustainable environment; improving safe and equal access to information, protection, justice and a peaceful and inclusive society through transparent, accountable, participatory, effective and efficient governance based on the rule of law and international norms and standards; and supporting women and girls realise their rights, as laid out in the Egypt Constitution, to social assets, health and livelihoods and their voice and leadership are upheld in an Egypt free of all forms of violence against women and girls.

The strategic framework of the partnership between Egypt and the UN is implemented through a governance framework, where the Ministry of International Cooperation and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt jointly chair its Steering Committee. The committee’s membership includes relevant national entities and UN agencies, and the technical work is also coordinated with results monitoring to ensure implementation and desired outcomes.