President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi
El-Sisi made the remarks in a speech he delivered via video conference on the occasion of the Global Forum for a Human-centred Recovery that is organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The president expressed thanks to ILO for organizing this important event that brings together heads of state and government who are responsible for formulating and implementing the national policies of their countries.
He stated that the future of the international system in a new world has been taking shape day after day, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged economic and social conditions with its impact surpassing that of the most severe crises across the world.
Any attempt to overcome the repercussions of this crisis has to be human-centred, El-Sisi noted. In this regard, the president said the coronavirus pandemic was, and is still, a human crisis in general, not just a health, economic or a social one.
The president added Egypt has managed to overcome a lot of consequences associated with the coronavirus crisis over the past two years through financial, economic and social policies that have proven successful and effective.
“We are currently making efforts that have been recognized by various international parties,” El-Sisi said, noting that those efforts "have enabled us to achieve positive growth rates despite all difficulties we have been facing, and contributed to creating a state of stability and international confidence in the Egyptian economy’s ability to withstand, absorb and overcome crises."
Despite the crisis, Egypt has also been able to implement ambitious initiatives to raise the citizens’ standards of living in the countryside and areas most in need through the Decent Life Presidential Initiative, the president said.
He added that Egypt also could extend the social security net to hundreds of thousands of families via the Takaful and Karama programme, which contributed to alleviating the burdens of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, El-Sisi reviewed the country’s efforts to promote financial inclusion, integrate informal economy, and ensure the continuation of the national digitization process
The president talked about the future of the international system in the coming years and its ability to respond to urgent global crises and their multi-dimensional consequences.
He pointed out that 61 percent of the world’s labor force is registered as part of the informal economy, noting that about 4 billion people across the world lack social security.
On that score, El-Sisi emphasized the need to draw up new, integrated policies, introduce effective mechanisms for their implementation, and strengthen the financial capacity to do so.
Many developing and least developed countries will experience great difficulties in overcoming those challenges, he noted.
The president added that recovery from the crisis is possible if a sincere international will exist and all parties are committed to the principle of sharing burdens and responsibilities; within the framework of a true international partnership with clear mechanisms and specific responsibilities.
Meanwhile, El-Sisi underscored the importance of the role played by international institutions and organizations in formulating work policies that can find solutions to social problems, which arise and develop rapidly in a way that may be beyond the capacity of the current international system to keep pace with and adapt to.
The president affirmed the significance of ILO’s efforts in this regard, especially its Global Call to Action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient.
El-Sisi said the global climate crisis and its negative consequences have undoubtedly cast a shadow over efforts to recover from the pandemic and overcome its multiple effects, especially in developing states.
"Our world today does not have the luxury of waiting, or failure to make the required effort to confront climate change and ward off its impacts," he added.
El-Sisi reiterated the need to find ways to enable developing countries to fulfill their commitments and raise the ambition of their climate action in accordance with the Paris Agreement without prejudice to the principles of equity; while providing social protection, and supporting efforts to achieve development and eradicate poverty.
In this regard, the president called for providing an international environment that contributes to mobilizing the necessary funding for developing countries to support their efforts to confront climate change, adapt to its consequences, build resilience while putting commitments into practice, and bridge the gaps experienced by global climate action at all levels.\
“This is some of what we aspire to achieve during Egypt's presidency of the upcoming climate change summit in Sharm el Sheikh late this year,” El-Sisi said, noting that Cairo will work with all parties impartially and transparently to that end.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian leader expressed hope that the results of the ILO’s forum, expected to reflect the valuable discussions it included, would contribute to enhancing understanding of the size of the current global problem, and ways to move forward towards finding effective solutions that "achieve the legitimate aspirations and hopes of our peoples".
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