Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Hosts Workshops on Sustainable Development and Infrastructure for Summer Training Program 2024

The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation conducted a workshop on the functions of the Sustainable Development Unit and the Infrastructure Sector for students participating in the 2024 Summer Training Program, which is being held for the seventh consecutive year. The workshop aimed to introduce the operational files and roles of the units and sectors within the ministry.

During the first workshop, the team from the Sustainable Development Unit presented the concept of sustainable development and its dimensions, the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the Africa Agenda 2063, and Egypt's Vision 2030. The team also discussed the ministry's role in monitoring sustainable development in Egypt.

The team clarified that the commonly accepted definition of sustainable development states that it is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. They emphasized that the three dimensions of sustainable development—social, economic, and political—are interrelated and integrated within an interactive framework characterized by regulation, organization, and resource optimization.

Regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda, the team indicated that it includes 17 goals, 169 targets, and 231 performance indicators. These goals span six dimensions: poverty and inequality, environment and climate, social and human development, economic aspects, governance, and partnerships.

The presentation also introduced the Africa Agenda 2063, titled "The Africa We Want," which serves as a strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next fifty years. It highlighted that the Africa Agenda 2063 was designed to accelerate the implementation of past and current continental initiatives aimed at sustainable growth and development.

Additionally, the team discussed Egypt's Vision 2030, launched as the first strategy formulated according to a long-term strategic planning methodology and participatory planning. This vision represents a roadmap aimed at maximizing benefits from competitive advantages and resources.

The team pointed out that the update to Egypt's Vision 2030 in 2018 was undertaken to keep pace with developments during the phase, considering it a living document influenced by local and international political, economic, and social changes.

Regarding the ministry's role in monitoring sustainable development in Egypt, the team explained that it involves preparing monitoring reports and tracking Egypt's status in international reports on sustainable development. The representatives of the Sustainable Development Unit also mentioned the preparation of voluntary national reports at both regional and international levels. Egypt has issued three reports on the implementation of the aspirations and goals of the Africa Agenda 2063 for the years 2019, 2021, and 2023. Furthermore, Egypt has prepared reports to follow up on the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, submitting three voluntary reports during the High-Level Political Forum in 2016, 2018, and 2021.

Regarding the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals, the team indicated that reports on localizing these goals in the governorates have been prepared, with a total of 27 reports covering all governorates in the republic. Additionally, a platform for tracking Sustainable Development Goals data in the governorates was launched, along with voluntary local reviews for three governorates: Beheira, Fayoum, and Port Said.

The team emphasized the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation's commitment to adopting a participatory methodology and incorporating input from various stakeholders in the ministry's activities and outputs during the formulation of Egypt's Vision 2030, throughout its updating process, as well as in the preparation of voluntary national reports and reports on the localization of Sustainable Development Goals at the governorate level.

The second workshop presented an overview of the main responsibilities of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation and the role of the Infrastructure Sector and productive services within the ministry, led by Heba Abdel-Moneim, Head of the Central Housing and Utilities Administration, along with the Infrastructure Sector team.

Heba Abdel-Moneim explained that the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation is responsible for managing the state’s public investments and establishing the frameworks necessary for private sector and civil society participation in achieving the state's public policies and implementing its programs and projects at the national and regional levels in line with the Sustainable Development Strategy 2030. She added that the key constitutional and legislative frameworks influencing the planning and monitoring of investment plans include the State Ownership Document, the General Planning Law, and the Egyptian Constitution.

Regarding the role of the Infrastructure Sector and productive services in supporting the economic sectors of the state, Abdel-Moneim stated that it is one of the most important sectors within the ministry, as its activities significantly impact the national economy. This sector supports various economic sectors, including housing, trade and industry, agriculture, and irrigation, by preparing project plans for these sectors, managing their investments, and monitoring their implementation, including major national projects.

Concerning the responsibilities of the Infrastructure Sector and productive services, Abdel-Moneim highlighted key tasks, such as studying proposed investment projects submitted by various sponsoring authorities within the sector, preparing the investment plan for affiliated agencies, and producing sectoral profiles that outline challenges, achievements, sector indicators, and strategies adopted by the sectors to achieve objectives in preparation for the Economic and Social Development Plan volume. Additionally, the sector is responsible for studying urgent requests from affiliated sponsoring agencies throughout the year and finding various alternatives to address those challenges.

The Infrastructure Sector team also reviewed the sector's investments and examples of significant national projects in Egypt, which include projects related to water and food security, the development and expansion of the national road network, the electric train network, monorail lines, as well as projects for developing informal settlements, the national program for increasing water resources, social housing projects, digital transformation, Upper Egypt development, and agricultural settlements in North and South Sinai.

The team clarified that the plan for the fiscal year 2024/2025 aims to enhance the role of public investment in ensuring water and food security by directing investments of approximately 18 billion EGP towards several projects, including seawater desalination plants and canal rehabilitation. Additionally, the investments allocated for social housing in the current fiscal year's plan 2024/2025 amount to a total of 40 billion EGP, aimed at completing approximately 261,000 housing units.