Davos: Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania el Mashat held intensive bilateral meetings with the heads of several UN agencies during the 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, held under the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” in the Swiss city of Davos, from January 20 to 24. The annual meeting saw wide participation from heads of state and government, decision-makers, and representatives of international organizations.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the minister discussed joint cooperation efforts with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in light of international developments in global trade and the impact from local and regional tensions. She emphasized the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation efforts among countries to boost global development.
Mashat also met with Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to discuss ways to enhance future cooperation. She highlighted that UNCTAD is a strategic partner for Egypt in formulating investment policies that contribute to achieving sustainable development. She also mentioned the technical support provided to Egypt and Africa in the negotiations of the investment protocol under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
She discussed her ministry’s efforts to enhance economic diplomacy to drive financing for development, and integration with development partners to enhance development efforts in Egypt. She also noted the ministry’s new philosophy based on integrating the planning system and its development, alongside international cooperation mechanisms to maximize development efforts.
Both sides discussed ways to strengthen joint cooperation, particularly in the fields of investment policies, digital economy, renewable energy, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship capacity-building programs, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and strategic sectors like green energy.
The minister met as well with Anacl¡udia Rossbach, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN-Habitat Program. The two sides discussed efforts to enhance joint cooperation, in light of the pivotal role of the program in promoting the sustainability and resilience of cities. She highlighted the various programs being implemented by the ministry in collaboration with development partners, as well as directing investments from the economic and social development plan to enhance the sustainability of cities and expand projects that comply with environmental standards.