International Cooperation Minister Rania el Mashaat said Sunday that Egypt has outlined a framework for joint action that includes all parties concerned with achieving the sustainable development goals.
It is a framework for international cooperation and development finance, Mashaat said in a speech during a conference on solidarity organized by the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), which kicked off here earlier today, adding that it involves civil society, the private sector and all development partners.
It is meant to enhance joint action and maximize benefits from development finances and technical support, the minister said via video conference.
All world countries are working to implement the 17 sustainable development goals of 2030, Mashaat told the gathering.
In 2015, they agreed to act together for a brighter future where everybody enjoys justice, equality and “the fruit of development”, she made it clear.
Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, is, according to Mashaat, of pivotal importance because it is related, in some way or another, to all the other sustainable development goals.
Indeed, it is impossible to achieve development without peace, stability and realized human rights based on the rule of law and the values of justice and equality, the minister explained.
The coronavirus pandemic, despite all its negative repercussions, has made the world pay attention to the importance of working together to achieve solidarity and promote the values of justice, equality and human rights, Mashaat went on to say.
Egypt, under President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, has taken coordinated steps to implement the 17 sustainable development goals through its own 2030 national vision, she said.
A human rights strategy is in the heart of this vision, the minister stressed, adding that it was launched by Sisi last year with the aim to entrench the values of equality and justice.
Mashaat also touched upon national strategies to empower women and youth and a third to protect the rights of children.
The Egyptian government, she added, has also outlined plans meant to achieve development in all sectors.
Over the past seven years, Egypt has implemented many projects, including those established as part of the “Decent Life” presidential initiative, which aims to achieve integrated development in the Egyptian countryside, the minister said.
Mashaat added that her Ministry has been working for two years to maximize benefits from joint action with its development partners.
It was the job of the International Cooperation Ministry to make sure that all ventures were in line with Egypt’s national priorities and the sustainable development goals, she noted.
With this in mind, a comprehensive plan has been designed to pinpoint 377 projects that should be implemented at a total cost of some 25 billion dollars, Mashaat told the conference.
Source: State Information Service Egypt