Charting Progress: The Ministry of International Cooperation's Impactful Journey Towards Sustainable Development

The annual report of the Ministry of International Cooperation for 2023, under the title “International Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Platforms for Policy & Practice,” revealed that the total development funding for the government sector, which was directed to the various sectors of the country over the past four years 2020-2023, amounted to about $28.5 billion, from multilateral and bilateral development partners.

According to the report, these funds were directed to several priority sectors in support of the efforts undertaken by the state to implement major development projects, in implementation of the sustainable development goals.

At the forefront is the sustainable transport sector, which witnessed the signing of development financing agreements worth $7.29 billion, from development partners -the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, the French Development Agency, Spain, the European Investment Bank, South Korea, the Kuwait Fund for Development, and the African Development Bank, China, Austria, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and Japan.

These funds enhance the implementation of the sustainable development goals, most notably the ninth goal related to industry, innovation, and infrastructure, and the eleventh goal, which promotes sustainable cities and communities.

Second comes the budget support sector for many sectors, including health and structural reforms, which witnessed the signing of development financing agreements worth $3.92 billion, which were signed with the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Arab Monetary Fund.

Over the period from 2020 to 2023, the agriculture, irrigation and supply sector received soft development financing amounting to approximately $3.35 billion from development partners -Japan, the African Development Bank, and the French Development Agency to enhance food security efforts and implement many projects that come under the state’s umbrella of priorities for expanding food security efforts. These projects enhance the implementation of many SDGs.

With regard to electricity, renewable energy and petroleum projects, the total development financing over 4 years amounted to about $1.96 billion, from the United States of America, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the European Union, Germany, Canada, Spain, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation. These funds advance the goals of climate action, clean energy, and responsible production and consumption.

While the social housing sector and water and sanitation networks received financing worth $1.77 billion, from the Swedish International Fund, the French Development Agency, Germany, the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, and the World Bank Group.

Development partners provided development financing and grants worth $1.11 billion in the field of women’s empowerment and social protection during the period from 2020 to 2023, from the European Union, the European Investment Bank, Germany, the French Development Agency, the Arab Fund for Development, the Kuwait Fund for Development, and the World Bank. And Switzerland.

In the education, higher education, and technical education sector, development financing agreements worth $490 million were concluded from the Kingdom of Spain, the French Development Agency, the World Bank, and the European Union, while development financing worth $456 million was signed in the small and medium enterprises sector, from development partners -the United States of America, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, while in the field of environment, development financing worth $440 million was concluded from the European Union and the French Development Agency.

The Ministry of International Cooperation concluded grant agreements worth $276 million in the field of governance and transparency, from the United States of America, Germany, the French Agency, and the European Investment Bank. In the health sector, the Ministry concluded development financing worth $136 million from the United States of America, Germany, and the European Union.

Financing in the local development sectors amounted to $90 million, from the World Bank, the United States of America, Canada, and China, and trade and industry financing amounted to $53 million, from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Islamic Development Bank.

The Ministry concluded framework agreements with Germany, Italy, and the European Union, worth $7.18 billion, which will be directed to sectors to be agreed upon in accordance with the country’s development priorities.

For more details about the annual report of the Ministry of International Cooperation:

https://moic.gov.eg/ar/page/annual-report-2023