Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawy met with representatives from the United Nations to discuss cooperation within the framework of the Decent Life Presidential Initiative and the Egyptian Rural Development Programme.
The meeting was attended by Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Egypt Elena Panova and the International Consultant and Resident Representative of the UN Antonio Vigilante.
At the beginning of the meeting, Shaarawy praised the level of the current partnership between Egypt and the UN.
He then referred to the government’s current efforts to achieve the UN’s goals for sustainable development within the framework of Egypt’s 2030 Vision, pointing out that the national projects that are being implemented seek to achieve the goals of the national strategy for development, achieve sustainability, and combat poverty.
Shaarawy added that the Decent Life Initiative is a national programme that will be implemented over a period of three years to achieve a significant shift in the standard of living in the countryside.
Furthermore, he said that this initiative began with developing 208 villages, as well as the local development programme in Upper Egypt, which is implemented by the government in coordination with the World Bank.
The minister also explained that there are projects by the Egyptian Rural Development Programme to develop sewage and drinking water, gas, electricity, and roads, in addition to social services facilities.
The programme also aims to extend the umbrella of social protection for the most vulnerable groups.
Shaarawy also stressed the importance of the role played by the UN in terms of the Decent Life Initiative, stressing the ministry’s endeavour to enhance the capacities of local cadres.
For her part, Panova stressed that the importance of the role played by the Ministry of Local Development to implement many projects and programmes in Egypt, praising the level of fruitful cooperation with the ministry regarding the local development programme in Upper Egypt.
She also expressed the UN’s aspiration to strengthen cooperative relations with the government to enhance the national rural programme.
