Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat met with the Secretary-General of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), Jean-Pierre Mbassi, as part of the Minister’s participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) at Glasgow, the United Kingdom, according to a statement released by the International Cooperation Ministry.
During the meeting, the Minister reviewed areas of future cooperation with the UCLG Africa, especially after the joint signing of an agreement last May, for establishing the Headquarters of the Organization’s Regional Office for North Africa in Cairo; adding that Egypt has witnessed an unprecedented development boom in the recent period, including urban development, developing infrastructure and establishing smart cities that align with the global development pace with regards to climate action and preserving the environment.
In the same connection, Al-Mashat emphasized the Government of Egypt’s openness to all opportunities for cooperation with the UCLG Africa, especially in exchanging knowledge and expertise and to benefit from Egypt’s development experience in Africa, within the framework of enhancing regional cooperation to achieve sustainable development.
The Minister referred to the launch of the “Egypt - International Cooperation Forum (ICF): Engaging for Impact”, last September, under the patronage of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, with high-level participation from Africa. In the forum’s communique, the importance of enhancing South-South and triangular cooperation has been highlighted, in order to push forward sustainable development efforts in Africa and developing countries.
The Minister also shed light on the Ministry’s efforts to enhance and strengthen economic cooperation with bilateral and multilateral development partners, alongside regional and international institutions, to support Egypt’s efforts to achieve sustainable development through the three principles of Economic Diplomacy: Multi-Stakeholders Platform, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) mapping to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Global Partnerships Narrative that puts “People at Core”, “Projects in Action,” and “Purpose as the Driver”.
It is worth noting that the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) was founded in 2005, with its headquarters in Rabat, the Kingdom of Morocco. Its vision revolves around building African unity and driving African development through the grassroots. The UCLG Africa has participated in the World Cities Conference organized by the Ministry of Urban Development in Luxor last October, as part of the celebrations of the "World Cities Day."
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