The Ministry of International Cooperation and United Nations Office in Egypt have launched the Partnership Week between Egypt and the United Nations in preparation for the signing of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023 – 2027, which is the comprehensive document for joint action between the two sides to support national priorities and accelerate progress towards the SDGs in 2023-2027. The Egypt-UN Partnership Week will include field visits to development projects implemented in a number of governorates to highlight the role of the UN, its agencies and affiliated programs in cooperation with national bodies and relevant parties; driving inclusive and sustainable development efforts. The projects to be visited are within the framework of the United Nations Partnership Development Framework (UNPDF) 2018 – 2022, which has worked to support development efforts through 4 key pillars: Inclusive Economic Development, Social Justice, Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Management, and Women's Empowerment. Al-Mashat and Panova co- chair the Steering Committee of the Strategic Partnership Framework between Egypt and the UN, and they began the field visits by visiting a number of development projects in Minya, with the participation of a number of national entities and representatives of the House of Representatives, the National Alliance for Civil Development, youth representatives along with representatives of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The teams are scheduled to visit several projects implemented by UN agencies in Minya in the agricultural and rural development sector, health care, and child and maternal care, in addition to the contribution of UN agencies to the Haya Karima Initiative and efforts to empower women. Al-Mashat said that Egypt is proud of its partnership with all multilateral and bilateral development partners and that the partnership with the UN extends for decades as Egypt has been a founding member of the organization since 1945. There is a close relationship between the different national entities and all the UN programs and agencies to promote development efforts in various fields, noting that the Ministry of International Cooperation takes its part in strengthening relations with the UN and coordinates joint efforts between the national entities, programs and agencies of the to implement national objectives and achieve comprehensive and sustainable development. The United Nations is one of the most important multilateral development partners of the Government of Egypt, and together, we have set clear goals and a development vision that targets the most vulnerable groups. The United Nations and its specialized agencies have represented the cornerstone of many joint development strategies and activities due to its experience in all fields of economic, social and environmental nature. UN Resident Coordinator Elena Panova said, "Minya is our first stop in the Egypt UN Week, which we are jointly organizing with the Ministry of International Cooperation ahead of launching our new Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027. It is designed to reflect upon our joint programmes with the Government and development stakeholders that address sustainable solutions to major development challenges – ranging from poverty and gender inequality to climate change." She added; "with Egypt has been driving an array of SDG initiatives, the UN in Egypt programmes in Minya prioritizes the empowerment of vulnerable groups leaving no one behind – including children, women, farmers, youth, and others." The preparation of the UNSDCF 2023 – 2027 included the participation of about 28 UN agencies and programmes, more than 30 national entities, and about 125 representatives of development partners, the private sector, civil society, academia, think tanks and research, to discuss priorities and strategies, and take into account the comments of relevant entities, to develop an integrated strategic framework that meets national priorities, supports the efforts of the development sector and enhances the achievement of sustainable development. The UNSDCF sets out 5 priorities to be achieved by 2027, namely enhancing human capital, social protection and social justice, promoting inclusive sustainable economic development driven by productivity growth, decent jobs, integrating the informal economy, strengthening resilience to climate change and efficient management of natural resources in a sustainable environment, achieving inclusive equity in safe and equitable access to information, in line with a governance framework characterized by transparency, accountability, efficiency, interaction, and inclusive participation of women and girls, and promoting political and economic empowerment.
