The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E.Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has called on the international community, financial institutions, and the private sector to come together to spark a “green recovery” to help meet the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).“A green recovery has become an urgent need, coming at the top of the government priorities around the world,” President El-Sisi said in his opening remarks of the inaugural Egypt International Cooperation Forum (Egypt – ICF).
Speaking on the first day of the inaugural Egypt International Cooperation Forum (Egypt – ICF), launched by the Ministry of International Cooperation, taking place in Cairo, September 8-9, 2021, President El-Sisi cautioned against overlooking the “variation in social and economic conditions of emerging and developing countries – those that have been hit the hardest by the global pandemic, and this might hamper their ability to keep pace with the green recovery process.”
It now requires the support of the international community and financial institutions to achieve the coveted goals of this agenda, he said.
President El-Sisi said offsetting the impact of climate change is a top priority for Egypt, the region, and beyond, elaborating that multilateral action is imperative.
No government alone can make this recovery possible, and we see the role of the private sector as pivotal in order to move forward to a sustainable future, he added, citing the sector’s ability to utilize blended finance, technology, and digital transformation.
President El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the UN’s SDGs which, he said, are consistent with his nation’s own 2030 Vision launched in 2016. The environment, he said, is a main pillar of development that will preserve resources and safeguard the rights of future generations.
The transition to a green economy will enhance the life of every Egyptian and enable them to fulfill their aspirations for a better tomorrow, he said.
President El-Sisi concluded his remarks by stating that African integration, as set down by the African Union’s 2063 Agenda, is the best means for the continent to meet its sustainable development ambitions.
Also at the event, H.E. Dr Rania A. Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, remarked on the “unique opportunity” for Egypt to reset global priorities and place sustainability at the core of economic development.
We launched the Egypt – ICF to provide a global platform to catalyze international cooperation as we rebuild from the pandemic. By increasing multi-stakeholder engagement and cooperation, we can pave the way for more inclusive, greener, and more resilient economies that work for everyone, Dr Al-Mashat said (photo courtesy APCO).
Later at the event, during a panel on multilateralism, Solomon Quaynor, the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) VP for the Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization noted that Egypt is “uniquely positioned” to be a regional hub for vaccine production.
A successful vaccination campaign [in Africa] could help realize the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area – a single market with 1.2 billion people and US$3.4 trillion in gross domestic product, Solomon Quaynor said.
During a panel that addressed the urgent need to unlock international development funds, Jorge Moreira da Silva, Director OECD Development Co-operation Directorate said that it is “critical to mobilize one percent of US$379 trillion. But it cannot be done without a holistic approach. It is important to emphasize the role of multilateralism.”
In a panel session dedicated to combatting climate change, Selwin Charles Hart, Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action Panelists described the world as being on a “climate cliff” as it gets dangerously close to not meeting the 1.5 degrees Celsius Paris Agreement goal, if “we don’t take ambitious action now.”
The Forum also heard from H.E. Dr Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s Minister of Environment, who commented that “climate change is not an environmental challenge. Climate challenge is a developmental challenge. It hits hard all development processes. It doesn’t differentiate between a rich, poor or developing country.”
