Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly expressed happiness to localise a regional headquarters of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support national societies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Madbouly's statements came in a meeting with President of the IFRC Francesco Rocca, IFRC Regional Director for MENA region Hossam Al-Sharkawy, and Executive Director of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society Ramy Al-Nazer. This meeting came after the first ever MENA Humanitarian Leadership Conference, which was held in Egypt under the auspices of the PM from 28 February to 1 March. Madbouly hailed the efforts of the IFRC around the world and its strong partnership with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, affirming Egypt's continuous support for the activities of the international federation to improve the lives of people at risk. He also mentioned the expected UN's Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP 27) that will be held in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh in November, pointing out that it represents a great opportunity to enhance cooperation with the IFRC in a way that supports the Egyptian presidency of the conference and to benefit from the diverse cooperation opportunities offered by this presidency. Meanwhile, Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Kabbaj noted that the Humanitarian Leadership Conference aims to reach a consensus on the most prominent humanitarian priorities in the region, saying that its most prominent outputs were a call to action for enhancing the participation and contribution of the MENA region in the upcoming COP 27. She added that the conference's recommendations tackle six issues to promote migration, volunteering and youth participation to addressing climate, environmental crises and the coronavirus pandemic, in addition to achieving financial sustainability, and a settlement in humanitarian work. On his part, Rocca thanked the Egyptian government for hosting the International Conference on Humanitarian Leadership, in which more than 40 leaders of national societies from the Middle East, Africa, and some European and South American countries participated. He added that he was keen to participate in this conference to support and strengthen cooperation with Egypt, especially with its upcoming presidency of the COP 27. Rocca also reviewed the IFRC's priorities during the next stage, which include limiting the effects of climate change, especially on the most vulnerable communities in the world.
