A roundtable discussion was organized on the Egypt Country Platform for Nexus on Water, Food and Energy (NWFE), on the third day of the Egypt-International Cooperation Forum (Egypt-ICF), in its second edition, focusing on the water and food pillars. In her opening speech, Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, stated that the Egypt Country Platform for NWFE catalyses partnerships through the Energy-Food-Water Nexus, and adopting interdisciplinary solutions that can have cross-sectoral benefits. Explaining the procedures for finance, the minister pointed out that each pillar under NWFE involves a development partner or a multilateral institution to ensure the effective provision of finance, infrastructure and technology towards a specific sector. Al-Mashat clarified that the African Development Bank is Egypt's partner for the water pillar, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is the partner for the energy pillar, while the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is the partner for food security pillar. "The key message of NWFE is availing the support needed for African countries to pursue their own development agenda regarding adaptation and mitigation projects, while fostering linkages between all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also adopts a multistakeholder approach through deploying innovative forms of finance such as concessional loans, blended finance, and debt swaps programs," Al-Mashat underlined. For his part, the Vice President of the African Development Bank for Power, Energy, Climate & Green Growth, Kevin Kanina Kariuki, underscored the bank's role in supporting the water pillar under NWFE programme. "The African Development Bank's high five priority areas are intended to support African countries' achievement of the SDGS. They are: Feed Africa; Light up Africa; Industrialise Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the Quality of Life for the people of Africa," Kariuki stated. Meanwhile, the Director General of IFAD, Dina Saleh, hailed Egypt's Country Platform for NWFE, saying: "The program speaks for itself. We congratulate Minister Rania Al-Mashat for paving the way and taking the walk." "We count on our partners to realize the NWFE program. It is the time to act. Let's NWFE together," Saleh concluded. This year's Egypt-ICF and the Meeting of African Ministers of Economy, Finance and Environment, will provide a platform for governments, multilateral and bilateral development partners, philanthropic foundations, private sector, think tanks, and civil society to consider the challenges the continent is offset by and explore avenues to overcome them. The Forum's overall objectives include: mobilization of, and access to finance, to mobilize financing and catalyze private sector investments, focused on developing countries and Africa; financing climate action, adaptation and mitigation to leverage the necessary public and private support to accelerate climate action; and providing a timely platform to explore needed national actions that would help progress towards a just and green transition.
