In line with Egypt’s ambitious policy to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and attract multiple funding sources to implement Egypt’s development plans, particularly Egypt’s Vision 2030, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, headed by H.E. Minister Dr. Hala El-Said, in cooperation with the United Nations in Egypt, have launched a national dialogue on the ways and resources to enable Egypt to finance its SDGs implementation plans.

This dialogue is held in the framework of the first SDGs Integrated Financing Strategy Project steering committee meeting, implemented by the Ministry in coordination with the UN in Egypt and in cooperation with UN agencies in Egypt, including UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, ILO and UNCTAD, and funded by the Joint SDGs Fund.

High-level government officials participated in this important dialogue, led by Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Nevin Al-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, Mr. Mohamed Maai, Minister of Finance and Dr. Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women, Ms. Elena Panova, Egypt’s UN Resident Coordinator, Major General Khairat Barakat, head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) and representatives from the above organizations in addition to representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Education and Technical Education, Health and Population, Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Local Development, Transport, Manpower, as well as the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) and the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).

The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, IMF’s Executive Director, who reviewed SDGs financing major developments in Egypt.

This dialogue aims to identify challenges and gaps in SDGs financing significantly impacted following the Corona pandemic outbreak, to identify SDGs implementation cost estimates in Egypt, investments allocated for their implementation and discuss new opportunities for enhancing SDGs financing, especially through applying innovative financing tools.

For her part, Elena Panova, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, emphasised that the world urgently needs to focus on funding to save the SDGs and put them back on the right track, especially after the strong Corona pandemic blow, through joining the various efforts to take effective steps in enhancing SDGs financing in Egypt. She also noted that Egypt can become a global model in developing a clear and credible SDGs financing strategy by aligning all financing flows and policies with the economic, social and environmental priorities.

The Project comes as one of the necessary implementation mechanisms stated in the Human Development Report of Egypt 2021: “Development, a Right for All: Egypt’s pathways and prospects” released September 2021 within the general framework of Egypt’s Action Plan for the Decade of Achievement – Egypt’s Path 2030 to promote sustainable development.