A new document – Cairo Communiqué – charting the way forward for developing economies to achieve the UN's 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs) was released on Thursday during the conclusion of the Egypt – International Cooperation Forum (Egypt-ICF). The Cairo Communiqué was released to provide a set of recommendations for international policymakers to embed into their sustainable development efforts. The communiqué outlines how multilateralism, international cooperation, and public-private sector collaborations can help generate the additional $3.7 trillion a year needed to bridge the SDGs financing gap and put the world on a path to a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Elena Panova, UN's Resident Coordinator for Egypt "We will be working hard over the next 12 months to continue with the momentum started here at the Egypt-ICF to ensure that the recommendations outlined in this communiqué are implemented, alongside our international partners." Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat said. Earlier, at the start of day two of the Forum, Minister al-Mashat presented Egypt's pioneering approach to the ODA-SDG mapping model to the international community, stating that it "offers a robust example of how we can align globally on the sustainability agenda – due to its adaptability and scalability." Ahmed Rezk, UNIDO Regional Hub office in Egypt Egypt's digital ODA-SDG model is being used to measure the real-world impact of 377 ongoing SDG-related projects in the country, worth over $25 billion. The "pioneering" initiative is now ready to be "replicated in other countries," Elena Panova,UN's Resident Coordinator for Egypt, told the Egypt-ICF Forum. The Egypt-ICF Forum discussed how Africa's transition to digital trade and its reliance on technology to push towards food security are key for a green and inclusive recovery. "It is vital to have the perfect mix of policies to foster the use of technology, skills development and building future industrial competencies – including advanced technology – to create a win-win situation for everyone in Africa," Ahmed Rezk, UNIDO Regional Hub office in Egypt, said.
