Statistical data is a “Necessity” to achieve comprehensive sustainable development: Says Planning Minister

Dr. Hala El-Said, Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development said that statistical data is an essential pillar in formulating the visions and strategies necessary to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development, whether in the national or international framework, which is reflected in the economic, social, environmental and demographic reality.

This came during the signing of Dr. Hala El-Said, MoU between the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Economy and Finance in charge of industry in Djibouti, in the presence of Mrs. Safia Mohamed Ali, Minister of Investment and Private Sector Development of the Republic of Djibouti, and in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

El-Said stressed the importance of signing an MoU between Egypt and Djibouti in the field of implementing the E-population census with the Republic of Djibouti, within the framework of implementing the third general census of population and housing in Djibouti during the years 2023-2024.

  She explained that the signed MoU is the first cooperation between the two countries in the development field, specifically in the field of preparing surveys and censuses and developing development databases.

She explained that today’s signing is the culmination of the efforts made over the past year to formulate a common formula for future cooperation between all parties, and a model for the development partnership that brings together Egypt, Djibouti, and ESCWA.

El-Said pointed out the importance of following a participatory approach to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development, whether at the national or international level, referring to SDGs 17, which emphasizes strengthening the means of implementation and activating the global partnership for sustainable development.

Mrs. Safia Mohamed Ali, Minister of Investment and Private Sector Development of the Republic of Djibouti, expressed her happiness with this signing, which comes within the framework of consolidating the relationship between the two countries.

She further hailed the support provided and positive joint work in the field of developing statistics in Djibouti using modern technology.

For her part, Dr. Rula Dashti, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCWA, said that the memorandum of understanding embodies the spirit of South-South cooperation and represents a dimension of a brighter future and a model for its dissemination among the countries of the region.

Dashti explained that the vision of any country is based on accurate, comprehensive, and timely data, as censuses and data are considered the lifeline of development planning for any country.

  Dashti asserted that Egypt has taken a commendable step to provide technical support to Djibouti to modernize the process of conducting censuses and make it electronic, which reduces cost and time and leads to obtaining higher-quality data that is easier to use by those concerned.

Major General Khairat Barakat, Head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMS) also confirmed that relations between Egypt and Djibouti have witnessed development over the past 10 years, and that the official and popular relations between the two countries are distinguished relations that witnessed further development during Egypt’s presidency of the African Union in 2019.

  He also stressed that CAPMS is keen to strengthen bilateral relations between it and its counterpart in Djibouti in all fields, and to exchange experiences in order to activate the SDGs.

The signing ceremony also witnessed a presentation by Brigadier General Mohamed Abdel Azim, Director of Information Infrastructure Projects at the Ministry of Planning, where he reviewed the birth and death registration project and the project to develop technological centers for citizen services.