Egypt participates in the United Nations Forum in New York to discuss ways to finance sustainable development
In recent years, the world has witnessed successive economic transformations that have forced countries to reconsider traditional financing models, especially with the escalation of challenges related to development, climate change, and the fluctuation of global markets. In light of these changes, financing sustainable development has become one of the main axes that determine the ability of countries to implement their national plans and transform strategic goals into sustainable and implementable projects and programmes.
In this context, the importance of adopting more diverse and innovative financing tools emerges, combining economic efficiency and social sustainability, thus enhancing the ability of governments to continue reform and development without disturbing financial balances.
Hence, Egypt seeks to consolidate its position among the countries that adopt an integrated vision for financingsustainable development, based on long-term planning, expanding international partnerships, and linking available resources to national priorities within the framework of Egypt’s Vision 2030.
Expanding the scope of financing and diversifying its sources
As part of Egypt’s quest to achieve sustainable development, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development participated in the Development Finance Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which was held in New York City, USA, during the period from April 20 to 24, 2026. The Ministry was represented in the forum activities by Dr. Mona Essam, Assistant Minister for Sustainable Development Affairs.
The forum comes as a continuation of the international momentum achieved duringThe Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which was held last year in the Spanish city of Seville, and witnessed active Egyptian participation, within the framework of the Egyptian state’s endeavor to expand the scope of innovative financing mechanisms and diversify its sources to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in light of Egypt’s Vision 2030.
During the forum, Dr. Mona Essam delivered a speech from the Arab Republic of Egypt. She also participated in several events, including the Country-led Dialogue, which is the first annual meeting of countries and partners concerned with strengthening integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs), as it provides a vital platform for exchanging experiences and identifying future priorities.
National Integrated Finance Strategy
Dr. Mona Essam confirmed that Egypt pays great attention to the file of financing sustainable development and places it at the heart of its plans, noting that Egypt will launch the “Integrated National Finance Strategy (E-INFS)” in 2025, which reflects an explicit commitment to promoting a comprehensive financing methodology consistent with national priorities and the action plan.
The implementation of the strategy is based on a comprehensive framework, based on coordination between concerned parties, and opens effective channels of communication with development partners and financial institutions, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concerned with achieving peace, justice, and strong institutions, and establishing partnerships to achieve the goals.
She stated in her speech that the launch of the strategy came as the government realized that traditional financing tools were no longer sufficient to meet the growing requirements, which prompted Egypt to take concrete steps to adopt innovative financing mechanisms, such as debt swap mechanisms, and issuing various sovereign bonds (green, panda, and samurai bonds), to ensure access to sustainable sources of financing.
New legislation and innovative tools
These efforts cannot be achieved without strict legislation and innovative development tools within the framework of enhancing governance and digital transformation. The government has launched an integrated legislative and institutional structure, including the General Planning Law (No. 18 of 2022) and the Consolidated Public Finance Law (No. 6 of 2022), in addition to the work of the “Finance for Development” team formed in 2021 headed by the Ministry, which contributes to achieving integration between development and financial planning, And aligning financial flows with priorities.
In a related context, Dr. Mona Essam reviewed the Ministry’s efforts in developing the “Masdar” platform, which represents an interactive and integrated database of sustainable development indicators, to support evidence-based decision-making and accurately direct funding. Emphasizing that these steps are fully consistent with Seville’s commitments to transform international pledges into practical measures with a tangible impact.
Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This year’s forum is of exceptional importance as it is a major platform for gathering momentum to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the sidelines of the forum, the “Network of National Focal Points for Financing for Development” was launched, organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with the Ministry of Planning participating in its activities as a member of the network, to activate the mechanism linking global follow-up to financing sustainable development and setting priorities nationally and regionally.
In conclusion, Egypt’s participation in the Financing for Development Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) reflects a clear trend towards developing financing tools and linking them directly to sustainable development priorities. The launch of the integrated national financing strategy, the expansion of the use of various sovereign bonds, the activation of debt swap mechanisms, in addition to the development of the “Masdar” platform, are all steps that indicate that the state is moving according to a more comprehensive vision, focusing on providing resources, efficiently directing them, and maximizing its economic and social impact.
In turn,The Earth Guards Foundation confirms that participation in the Sustainable Development Financing Forum reflects Egypt’s keenness to benefit from international momentum and global expertise in this vital file. Hence, these moves represent an extension of a reform path aimed at building a more flexible and sustainable financing model that supports the implementation of Egypt’s Vision 2030 and enhances the state’s ability to transform development plans into tangible results on the ground.
