Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr. Hany Swelim witnessed the signing of a new cooperation protocol between Professor Mohamed Loutfi, President of the British University in Egypt and Mr. Alessandro Fracassetti, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which aims to complement and strengthen cooperation between the two parties in the fields of sustainable development.
The protocol includes the participation of the British University students in initiatives related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the participation of youth in green transformation through environmental initiatives and other initiatives related to the SDGs, as well as continued cooperation and support for the Climate Summit simulation model as a sustainable activity.
The protocol aims to support the implementation of the sustainable development agenda, the exchange and transfer of knowledge, the development of innovation strategies, youth qualification and rehabilitation, besides raising awareness about sustainable development and climate issues through several activities, mainly the Climate Summit simulation model. The memorandum also supports providing recommendations on topics of national priority, and supports research activities and applied research in several fields, on top of which are climate issues such as desalination projects.
Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhi said that signing this protocol completes our collective journey towards sustainable development, and that launching a platform for the Climate Summit simulation model stresses our commitment to address the pressing challenges of climate change and promote the global agenda to create a more resilient future.
"Let us reaffirm our commitment to foster innovations, knowledge sharing and inclusive participation together to create meaningful change and chart a path towards a more sustainable world for future generations," the Minister of Youth continued.
Dr. Hany Swelim, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, praised the efforts of UNDP and the British University in Egypt for achieving sustainability and implementing Egypt's Vision 2030, noting that the British University and UNDP are on the right track to implement important projects and innovations related to desalination and renewable energy to serve Egypt's future plans. He also highlighted the idea of bringing students from all over the world and engaging them in climate action, which is inspiring in light of the need to find future climate leaders, especially young ones, to achieve the desired goals.
The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation added that achieving the sustainable development goals depends on applying the interconnection concept between water, food and energy, and therefore the desalination of water is necessary in the future for intensive food production, especially with the limited water resources in Egypt. He also stressed the importance of applying the concept of water sustainability, which the ministry was able to achieve during the COP27 climate summit by putting water at the center of global climate action, as the water sector is one of the most affected sectors by climate change.
For his part, Mr. Alessandro Fracassetti, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said that the partnership with the British University in Egypt – which started two years ago with the "Marathon for Climate" event, that was attended by more than 10,000 participants, and the COP27 simulation model, in which 130 students from 21 universities representing 25 countries participated - is very effective, and. This collaboration with the British University in Egypt focuses on empowering and educating youth, raising awareness about climate change, and supporting global climate action. He also that the COP simulation website which is about to be launched will continue to support youth voices in impactful ways as we stand side by side with the next generation of climate change leaders and activists.
For her part, Mrs. Farida Khamis, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the British University in Egypt, praised the great success achieved by the British University in cooperation with UNDP, stressing the fact that the new protocol is a promising step towards preparing a generation of Egyptian university graduates qualified to achieve the sustainable development goals and realize Egypt’s vision.
Mrs. Farida added that with signing this protocol, we continue the process of hard work with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and we must exploit the advantages of this cooperation to adapt it to serve the community and achieve its goals. This cooperation is a wonderful experience and a vital example of cooperation and integration between different sectors at the global level, which ensures the sustainability of strategic projects and the desired results for the comprehensive enhancement of our societies. Mrs. Farida also expressed her pride in the projects and initiatives that have been accomplished and the active participation of university students in these initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Lotfy, President of the British University in Egypt, stressed that the signing of this protocol highlights the constructive cooperation and successful partnership between the British University and UNDP, which has lasted for two consecutive years, and which resulted in many major projects and initiatives that play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals and developing solutions to address the issue of climate change - most notably the organization of two COP27 - COP28 Climate Summit Simulations Models, and the participation in the two climate summit conferences in Sharm El Sheikh and the UAE, with the aim of creating a young generation that is aware of climate change and its responsibilities.
Dr. Lotfy added that the British University pioneered cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and was the first university to start, and even renew, its partnership with UNDP. He also stressed the university's keenness on creating new cooperation horizons, complementing the successful initiatives launched together, and meeting around one common goal to ensure a better future and comprehensive development. The President of the British University in Egypt stressed that this cooperation will also continue this year to launch new initiatives that contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals and Egypt Vision 2030, such as the "Marathon for Public Health" scheduled for next April, as well as the cooperation with Azerbaijan to organize a third edition of the Climate Summit simulation model.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Farid, CEO of the Financial Regulatory Authority, said that Egypt plays a major role at the local and global levels in addressing the issue of climate change and developing solutions to confront carbon emissions, pointing out the need to encourage companies and investors to actively seek to reduce carbon emissions, and to know and measure the real situation so that we can manage and deal with it, explaining that sustainability consists of two main elements: financial safety and environmental safety, and therefore all projects related to the environment and preservation cannot be achieved without the availability of appropriate financing.
In the same context, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Dr. Abeer Shakweer said: "We have had a close and fruitful collaboration with the British University in Egypt for the past two years, and have been able to raise awareness and build capacity on climate change and engage youth from around the world in global discussions on climate action. Today, we are renewing our partnership and launching a website as a knowledge hub to ensure the sustainability and growth of our activities, and I look forward to working together to empower more young people."ƒ
Dr. Sarah Al-Khashan, Strategic Development Officer at the University and Head of the Organizing Committee of the Climate Summit Simulation Model, stressed that renewing cooperation with UNDP and agreeing to hold the third edition of the Climate Summit Simulation Model, after the great success of the first and second editions of the model, as well as launching the COP Simulation Portal website are all things to be proud of, as they reflect the university's firm belief in the great role that this model plays in achieving the university strategy and mission to build students and youth capable of influencing and changing as well as supporting the implementation of the sustainable development agenda.