Egypt's Local Development and Acting Environment Minister, Manal Awad, chaired the 22nd meeting of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to advance efforts in strengthening the fund's role in environmental protection. A key focus of the meeting was supporting Egypt's preparations to host the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP24)—the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean—scheduled in Cairo from December 2–5, according to the ministry. During the session, the board approved the meeting agenda, endorsed minutes from the previous session, and reviewed follow-ups on decisions made at the 21st meeting concerning EPF contributions and grants to the Industrial Pollution Control Program and the National Solid Waste Management Program. Attendees included Ali Abou Sena, CEO of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency; Talaat Abdel Qawy, head of the General Federation of NGOs; Walid Rashad, head of the financial and administrative sector; Mohamed Salah, the minister's assistant for legal affairs; Iman Atef, head of the environmental quality sector; and financial adviser Tarek Basiony. Representatives from the ministries of finance, interior, international cooperation, and planning and economic development, along with the EPF team, were also present. Minister Awad highlighted that the EPF is actively supporting the technical and logistical preparations for COP24 of the Barcelona Convention, which will bring together representatives from 22 countries. Egypt will assume the convention's presidency for a two-year term during this event. She directed the ministry to develop a comprehensive media plan to promote the conference and its key themes, establish a dedicated logistics and finance committee to oversee implementation, and clarify the roles and responsibilities of participating ministries and agencies. Expressing Egypt's ambition, Awad emphasized the goal of hosting a successful conference that advances the Barcelona Convention's agenda and showcases the country's leadership in coastal zone management and the protection of marine and coastal resources at both regional and international levels. Additionally, the minister called for the formation of a committee to review and update the EPF bylaw, aiming to improve regulations surrounding the disbursement and financing of environmental protection projects. She also stressed that the EPF board should meet quarterly to present the budget and provide regular progress updates.
