UNDP to supervise two long-term projects to develop areas in North Coast and Upper Egypt CAIRO: We won t leave a stone unturned, said Fathy El-Shazly, head of the National Committee for Clearing Landmines in the North Coast, in reference to a project to clear the areas infested with landmines left behind in conflicts stretching back to World War II. Last week, the Ministry of International Cooperation signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to enlist the latter's assistance and expertise in removing the mines and developing areas affected by these weapons. The two-phase project will see the UNDP provide technical and consultative assistance and contribute to funding. Once cleared of mines, according to the ministry, the area could accommodate up to 1.5 million residents by the year 2022. The project will also provide access to three million feddans of agricultural land and oil reserves estimated at 4.8 billion barrels, not to mention other mineral resources. The project will liberate 22 percent of Egyptian territory rendered unusable by the mines and save Egyptian blood, El Shazly said. The land mines within the perimeters of the Western Desert have claimed the lives of 696 people and left 7,617 wounded since 1982, according to official numbers. The Armed Forces have been working on removing mines from the area. But it is a costly process that requires advanced technology, said Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abu El-Naga. The agreement marks a change in approach to mine removal from the mere physical process to de-mining for development, Abu El-Naga added. The concept is also shared by the UNDP. The UNDP addresses mine action from a development perspective and advocates for the mainstreaming of mine action in development planning, programming and budgeting, reads the organization's website. Abu El-Naga explained that currently a fund receives contributions from different countries, including those responsible for planting the mines during WWII. Germany for example, she continued, has provided the Armed Forces with advanced equipment for landmine clearance. [This day] is certainly a special day in the history of relations between the Egyptian government and UNDP, said El-Shazly. This sentiment was repeated by various speakers at the event, which also included the signing of another agreement for development work in Luxor. The signing of the agreement coincided with Luxor National Day. Luxor Governor Samir Farag noted that all development plans in the city are based on UNDP studies. A key component of the project focuses on improving physical and living conditions in Nagaa El-Tahtani slum and in downtown Luxor using a participatory approach, explained a UNDP statement. Another component emphasizes upgrading the investment profile of Luxor to attract private sector investments and target employment generation, particularly for women and youth, through establishing a women's vocational center, serving small and medium enterprises, preserving Nubian culture and increasing access to employment to the poor. The third component involves capacity building of the local government, and of NGOs in Luxor to enhance their contribution to development. This is an example of UN reform in action, said James Rawely, the UN resident coordinator. He added that the agreement demonstrates the government s commitment to developing Upper Egypt; the Luxor city council will prove 94 percent of the $11.6 million required for the four-year development projects. This adds a special dimension to the cooperation with the Egyptian government, said Amat Al-Alim Alsoswa, director of the regional bureau for Arab states for UNDP Both agreements push Egypt into the future, she added. One focuses on civilization, ancient Egyptian history in Luxor, and another deals with the history of hate, the occupation and the WW II battles that took place on Egyptian land.
