IFAD's Associate Vice-President for Strategy and Knowledge Jyotsna Puri visited Egypt last week, where she met with the Egyptian government, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt, representatives and beneficiaries of IFAD's projects, as well as local media. Dina Saleh, Regional Director of the Near East, North Africa and Europe Division, accompanied her during the visit.
A key focus of the mission was IFAD's preparations for COP27, which will be held in November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Puri and Saleh along with Mr. Mohamed El-Ghazaly, Egypt's Acting Country Director, met with Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Mr. El-Sayed Al-Qusair, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment. She also met with Ambassador Mohamed Nasr, Director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The Ministers and Representatives of the Egyptian government unanimously agreed on the importance of IFAD's role in the upcoming climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, especially with regard to the impact of climate change on small-scale farmers who produce two-thirds of the world's food needs," the Associate Vice President said. "COP27 will address adaptation and resilience, hence it is important that it is taking place in Africa, close to those who suffer most the consequences of climate change," she added.
The Minister of International Cooperation issued a statement that expressed appreciation for the partnership between Egypt and the IFAD. She said she is looking forward to more effective joint work to achieve the desired results and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the framework of Egypt's Vision 2030, and to finance more projects to develop the agricultural sector and enhance the livelihoods of rural populations.
Her Excellency also touched on the ministry's initiative to develop an international framework for innovative financing to bridge the climate financial gap. This would include expanding the tools of blended financing and risk reduction and enhancing the participation of the private sector in development.
During Puri's meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Egyptian government's priority to expand the implementation of projects to counter the effects of climate change was highlighted. The Minister underscored the need to provide funds to implement projects that target small-scale farmers in particular. He stated that a mechanism must be found to support farmers in light of the global impacts of climate change, according to a statement from the ministry. His Excellency took note of IFAD's relationship with Egypt stretching back decades, and that the ministry hopes to strengthen this cooperation within the framework of IFAD's response to the investment needs of the agricultural sector and government priorities.
Puri's conversation with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cairo, Ms. Elena Panova, also explored the mechanisms of joint work among the various United Nations agencies, and how to synergize efforts to guarantee the success of COP27.
The Associate Vice President visited the SAIL project in the governorate of Kafr El-Sheikh, northern Egypt and met some of the beneficiaries who shared their stories and experiences. She recognized the progress the project achieved on different areas such as the aquaponics, the weather station and their linkage to the early warning system and the farmer field schools for women.
"At IFAD, we are keen to provide success stories from our projects to provide clear examples of projects that support small holder farmers and increase their resilience and adaptation to climate change," Saleh said.
