Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat met on Tuesday with the United Nations Special Adviser to the secretary-general and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team Selwin Har, to discuss the international efforts towards addressing climate change issues.

The 2023-2027 strategic partnership framework with the United Nations (UN) was highlighted during the meeting, along with climate change action plans undertaken by various United Nations agencies within the regional and international frameworks, namely the Paris Agreement.

The meeting also touched upon the participation of the UN representatives in Egypt- International Cooperation Forum (ICF) on the climate action in the post-COVID-19 context, which will kick off on Wednesday through Thursday under the patronage of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

During the meeting, all parties agreed that the forum's communiqué should reflect the stakeholders’ emphasis on the principle of multilateralism that takes inter-country discrepancies into consideration.

The meeting was attended by UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova and senior officials from the international cooperation ministry and the UN office in Egypt.

Al-Mashat said that the Ministry of International Cooperation, along with the national coordinator of the UN partnership framework, developed in May 2021 a roadmap for the strategic partnership framework for the period 2023-2027.

She added that the new framework aims to support the Egyptian government’s priorities in achieving economic and social development in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), whilst banking on the progress made during the current United Nations Partnership Development Framework (UNPDF).

Al-Mashat pointed out that one of the main pillars of the new strategic framework revolves around protecting natural resources and achieving sustainability in order to fulfill the relevant SDGs, which are aimed at ensuring water security, enhancing food security, promoting energy efficiency, boosting environmental sustainability, increase adaptation to climate change, promote ecotourism and rural tourism, accelerating the transition to a circular economy and green economy, improving biodiversity conservation and waste management, and developing natural resource management.

The meeting further explored the challenges facing developing countries and ways to accelerate the transition to a green economy.

“Egypt is crafting a comprehensive approach to development cooperation in order to address environmental, social, and economic issues,” said Al-Mashat.

On his side, UN’s Hart underscored the importance of highlighting the Egyptian efforts during the ICF event, particularly in light of international preparations for the UN’s twenty-sixth Climate Change Conference (COP 26).

Egypt is one of the 50 founding countries of the UN in 1945, with a long-standing history of mutual relations with the UN and its programs, affiliated agencies, and funds.

The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator leads on the efforts of United Nations agencies operating in Egypt and represents the point of contact with the Government of Egypt.