Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

UN Official Lauds Egypt's Response to 1st Peak of COVID


Sat 03 Oct 2020 | 06:15 PM
Hassan El-Khawaga

Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office in Egypt Richard Dictus said Egypt’s response to the first peak of COVID has been amongst the best in Africa and the Middle East, the International Cooperation Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Dictus pointed out that Egypt mitigated not only health risks, but also covered development aspects within the framework of the strategic partnership program with the United Nations.

Dictus's remarks came during a high-level meeting with Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat with the participation of officials of 16 UN organizations, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and discuss future cooperation.

“In coordination with the Egyptian government, we have been committed to rapidly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the strength of the development partnership that has spanned over 75 years,” he stated.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the International Labor Organization, the World Food Program, the International Organization for Migration, UN Women, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Joint Program on HIV, the Program United Nations Development, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations Human Settlements Program, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations Educational, Educational and Cultural Organization, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a very strong reach out to coordinate and increase dialogue. This was an extraordinary opportunity for substantive and policy dialogue through a new fashion among all development and governmental agencies,” he stated.

He added that the UN is ready to support rapid and large-scale recovery, including building a strong health sector capable of withstanding shocks and ensuring an economic recovery that allows a decent life for all citizens of Egypt.

Al-Mashat added that the ministry has been working to strengthen coordination with all UN agencies amid the COVID-19 pandemic through three principles: 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.