Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat inaugurated the first National Forum on the Future of Work in Egypt, which was organised by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) within the framework of bilateral cooperation with the Egyptian government.
In her speech, Al-Mashat stressed the importance of the forum, which aims to enhance discussions and the exchange of knowledge on future developments and expectations of the labour market and foster acquiring new and necessary skills.
The minister also elaborated on the development efforts undertaken by governments around the world aiming to achieve the common goal of increasing employment rates and the inclusion of youths into the workforce in the backdrop of an increasing population and a dynamic labour market.
Al-Mashat explained that investing in human capital is at the top of the Egyptian government’s priorities and falls within cooperation with multilateral and bilateral development partners.
The minister also pointed out that the ongoing development cooperation portfolio includes 372 projects amounting to $26.5bn distributed across priority sectors, which is reflected in both achieving sustainable development and in investing in human capital while also stimulating engagement with the private sector.
In 2021, Egypt secured $10.2bn in development financing for the public and private sectors, including $2.47bn (nearly 25%) in investing in human capital across sectors such as health, education, SMEs, food security, and gender equality.
Al-Mashat said that within the framework of implementing the directives of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in the past year, the ministry has mapped the ODA to the SDGs, which was a pioneering experience documented at the London School of Economics.
Through the mapping, the development financing dedicated to each of the 17 SDGs was made clear. For instance, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being includes 33 projects worth $1.5bn, SDG 4: Quality Education includes 35 projects worth $2 bn, and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth includes 47 projects worth $2.6 bn.
The minister elaborated that the figures reflect constructive relations between Egypt and its multilateral and bilateral development partners based on supporting development efforts and directing synergies towards increasing growth rates, employment, and investing in human capital, which is all in line with the 2030 SDGs and national priorities.
Al-Mashat added that her ministry, within the framework of building the capacity of Egyptian citizens, is working to promote investment in human capital as a main focus in all its country strategies with multilateral and bilateral development partners.
She stressed that the current cooperation portfolio between Egypt and Germany amounts to €1.7bn of development financing — including technical support — used in the implementation of 30 development projects in various fields — renewable energy, water, sanitation, irrigation, solid waste management, and private sector engagement.
She added that the joint relations with the German side is reflected in supporting Egypt’s efforts in development investment in human capital and in supporting the labour market, education, and health sectors, along with other priority sectors via several projects that include the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Reform Programme (TVET); the Supporting Innovation and Private Sector Project; the Labour Market Access Project; and the Egyptian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration, and Reintegration.
This is in addition to many programmes with other development partners, such as the STEM schools projects with the USAID; the outpatient building of the Abu Al-Rish Children’s Hospital, which is affiliated with Cairo University in cooperation with Japan; and over 1,100 training programmes in the past four years benefiting over 4,000 government employees and officials.
