AU Lauds Egypt, WFP's Cooperation in Developing Rural Communities

The African Union Commission commended Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation and the World Food Program (WFP)’s cooperation in developing rural communities and supporting small farmers in Upper Egypt.

This came following a visit by Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania Al-Mashat and Mengstab Haile, the country director of the WFP, to inspect a number of development projects implemented in the governorates of Qena and Luxor as part of the program’s country strategic 2018-223 plan.

In a tweet, Ambassador Abdoulaye Diop, the chief of staff of the AU Commission, congratulated the minister and WFP’s country director for the “successful mission”, noting that it demonstrates “how international cooperation can change the lives of many rural communities” and that it could be “an example that could be replicated in other African countries.”

https://twitter.com/AbdoulayeDiop8/status/1308456522188500993

To celebrate the UN’s 75th anniversary, the Ministries of International Cooperation and Agriculture joined the WFP to inspect a number of development projects in the governorates of Luxor and Qena, as part of the South-South Initiative, which aims to develop rural communities in Upper Egypt and transfer this experience to other African countries.

In cooperation with Egypt, the projects contribute to building the capacity of one million small farmers through 2023 by introducing modern agricultural and irrigation systems, providing in-kind loans to women and mothers, in particular, to promote women's empowerment, and transform communities through the renovation of community schools to smart schools to combat child labor and poverty.

Ministry of International Cooperation and WFP also produced a video entitled ‘Beyond Food’, showcasing the history of Egypt’s partnership with the WFP and the joint Egypt-WFP efforts to end hunger and transform communities.

The ministry aims to strengthen economic diplomacy to effectively deliver the sustainable development agenda and contribute to human development.

The three principles include regularly organizing multi-stakeholder platforms to ensure that all projects between development partners are streamlined and effectively coordinated, adopting a consistent Global Partnerships Narrative People&Projects&Purpose (P&P&P); and mapping ODA financing to SDGs for all projects with multilateral and bilateral development partners.

The partnership between Egypt and the World Food Program, one of the programs of the United Nations, extends for more than 50 years, during which the government has worked to support sustainable development programs, by meeting the immediate needs of the most needy groups and supporting development programs in all fields, and the current strategy for the period of 2018-2023 allocated to it about $586 million.

The strategy is based on major axes, including the completion of social protection programs, providing food security for the most needy groups, focusing on women, especially mothers, and supporting building farmers' resilience.

The partnership between Egypt and the World Food Program extends for more than 50 years, and the current strategy for the period of 2018-2023 allocates about $586 million towards social protection programs, providing food security for the most vulnerable, focusing on women and mothers, and building farmers' resilience.