Egypt’s Acting Environment Minister Manal Awad called for institutional reform and a stronger emphasis on projects with measurable environmental, economic and social impact during the 19th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), an official statement said.
The meeting was chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, the board’s chairperson, and attended by CEDARE Executive Director Khaled Fahmy, ministers, their representatives, and regional organisations.
Speaking as vice chair of the board, Awad said the region is undergoing profound transformations that require CEDARE to assume new responsibilities, stressing the importance of aligning the centre with political and environmental challenges through institutional and structural reform.
She highlighted that the next phase should prioritise the implementation of concrete projects supporting national development plans, particularly initiatives targeting vulnerable groups and improving quality of life.
Awad also emphasised the need to expand regional cooperation between Arab countries and Europe, while ensuring the participation of African countries through the centre to achieve mutual benefits.
She praised the contributions of former Egyptian Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad in strengthening CEDARE’s role, the founding role of Nadia Makram Ebeid, and the ongoing efforts led by Fahmy to reposition the centre’s programmes and activities.
Al-Fadhli welcomed Awad’s first participation in the board meetings and highlighted the importance of empowering the centre to enhance the effectiveness of its mandate. Fahmy described the meeting as exceptional, coinciding with an institutional transformation process, and said discussions focused on reviewing the centre’s statutes, governance mechanisms, and future plans, with further consultations planned ahead of the next session.
