Al-Mashat, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Chair 1st meeting of Advisory Council of the "Youth of a Country" initiative

Minister of International 

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, and Ms. Elena Panova, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office in Egypt, chaired the first meeting of the Advisory Board of the Initiative "Youth of a country", Egyptian version of the United Nations "Generation Unlimited", in the presence of Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, and members of the Council, as part of COP27, being held from 6 November until 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, 

The Minister of International Cooperation explained that the convening of the first meeting of the Advisory Council of the "Youth of a Country" initiative, enhances joint cooperation between Egypt and the United Nations, to empower young people and allow them to participate in various initiatives and promote development efforts, through joint action by various stakeholders.

The "Youth of a Country" initiative was launched and announced during the World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh last January, noting that the speech of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi at the closing events of the World Youth Forum stressed the importance of entrepreneurship, innovation and youth empowerment. "Youth of a country", to integrate with all national efforts to allow young people to participate in the promotion of development efforts, in view of the enormous forces possessed by the Egyptian State at the level of the number of young people who can actively participate in supporting sustainable development through innovative and effective ideas. We have seen the active participation of young Egyptians in the COY17 Youth Climate Conference, which reflects young people's potential and potential that can be exploited.

She noted the importance of the Presidential Initiative “Decent life” and its role in achieving sustainable development as an effective and unprecedented model in the history of the Egyptian State, and its presence as a representative on the Advisory Council of the "Youth of a Country" initiative, in order to promote joint efforts and empower young people in all governorates of Egypt and rural areas to increase investment in human capital.

The Minister of International Cooperation stated that the Advisory Council included various representatives from various stakeholders such as the National Training Academy, the Life Well Initiative, the Federation of Industries and major technology companies represented by Microsoft and the envoy of the Youth Climate Conference, together with development partners, to promote joint cooperation and catalyse efforts to empower young people.

The Mashat explained that the initiative establishes an exceptional partnership between youth, government, international institutions, the private sector and civil society, bringing all stakeholders to one table, to integrate efforts to support young people at the level of the initiative's components of education, employment, entrepreneurship and positive and effective social participation.

For his part, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy said: "The Youth of Country Initiative” is one of the most important initiatives launched during this year, aimed at investing in young people, and represents a unique model of cooperation between international organizations, the Government, civil society organizations, the private sector and youth."

"This initiative promotes the spirit of self-employment and entrepreneurship, improves links between young people and existing jobs, increases the number of good jobs available to young people, promotes equal access to quality education, equips young people for future leaders and active members of civil society who contribute to creating a better world for their homelands."

The Minister of Youth and Sports called on the participants to join hands by uniting efforts to serve and develop young people faster and more comprehensively. Young people are the most important agents of positive change, thanks to their creativity and innovation.

Ms. Elena Panova, United Nations Resident Representative and Co-Chair of the Council, "Young people play a critical role in combating climate change, so the holding of the Advisory Board of the Country Youth Initiative on the margins of COP 27 is timely. We are proud that this youth partnership has a full investment from the United Nations system in Egypt, along with government, the private sector, civil society and youth-led initiatives. The United Nations is keen to join forces for the success of a country's youth initiative, as youth empowerment is in line with the sustainable development goals and enhances the chances of achieving them by 2030. We hope that the achievements of the Initiative in Egypt will serve as a model in other countries regionally and globally. "

Jeremy Hopkins, representative of UNICEF in Egypt and member of the Advisory Board of the Initiative, said: "The Youth Initiative of a country is inclusive in nature and does not exclude anyone. The Advisory Board was therefore constituted to ensure the representation of various partners in the initiative. The practical experiences and insights of Council members will ensure that the initiative is on track to meet the aspirations of young people in Egypt. "

The "Youth of a Country" initiative, the Egyptian version of the United Nations "Youth without Borders" initiative Generation Unlimited, launched in more than 54 countries around the world, aims to support and empower young people in education, employment, entrepreneurship and social participation.

The Strategic Framework for the Partnership for Sustainable Development between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Nations 2023-2027, which is the framework for cooperation between the two sides in the coming years, is to be announced shortly, enhancing national efforts to achieve Vision 2030 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Partnership for Sustainable Development's strategic framework sets out 5 priorities for achieving by the end of 2027, namely, enhancing human capital through equality for access to distinct services and social protection and justice for all, promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development driven by productivity growth and decent work opportunities and the integration of the informal economy, enhancing resilience to climate change and efficient management of natural resources in a sustainable environment, achieving inclusive justice in safe and equitable access to information.