Egypt’s President Sisi calls for ways enable developing countries to fulfill their climate commitments

CAIRO - 24 February 2022: In his speech at the virtual forum titled “ the Global Forum for a Human-Centred Recovery” on Thursday, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi called upon the international community to adopt integrated policies, effective mechanisms that help recover from the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic.

President Sisi also called for the need to find ways to enable developing countries to fulfill their commitments regarding the climate change impacts and raise their climate action ambition.

Here is the full text of President Sisi’s speech

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank the International Labor Organization for organizing this important event that brings together heads of state and government, in their capacity as being responsible for formulating and implementing the policies of their national countries, along with leaders of a number of the most important organizations, banks, and international financial institutions, whose partnership with governments contributes to shaping global trends on various international issues. 

These are issues that concern us and affect our peoples and our future. This event also invites labor representatives and business owners, who play a key role in a world in which we are all aware of the extent of the overlap between the various international crises, and the magnitude of their impact on all aspects of life.

Therefore, I was keen to participate with you today in this vital dialogue on recovery from the pandemic and the future of the international system in a new world, which is taking shape before us day after day.

After more than two years since the onset of an international crisis that hard hit economic and social conditions with an impact that surpassed that of the most severe crises, I presume you will agree with me that any attempts to overcome the repercussions of that crisis must have the human being at the core. The coronavirus pandemic was - and still is - a humanitarian crisis in general, not just a health, economic, or social crisis.

Egypt has been able to overcome many of the coronavirus crisis consequences over the past two years, through financial, economic and social policies that have proven their success and effectiveness. We are currently exerting efforts, which have been corroborated by various international parties, enabling us to achieve positive growth rates, despite all the difficulties we faced. This contributed to creating a state of stability and international confidence in the ability of the Egyptian economy to withstand, absorb, and overcome crises.

Despite the crisis, Egypt was also able to implement ambitious initiatives to raise the standard of living of citizens in the countryside and areas in need through the Decent Life Initiative. This is in addition to extending the social security net to hundreds of thousands of families, through the Takaful and Karama program, which contributed to alleviating the burden of the pandemic’s repercussions as well as strengthening Egypt’s efforts to promote financial inclusion, the integration of the informal economy and digitalization.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Honesty requires us to accept that this crisis has clearly revealed weaknesses in some aspects of the international system. This is where we must stop and deliberate in order to find effective solutions to overcome them.

Therefore, I would like for my discussion with you today to be centered on the future of the international system in the coming years and its ability to respond to urgent global crises and their multifaceted consequences.

In this regard, allow me to raise a number of questions:

Can we endure the consequences of the continued presence of about 61% of the world’s labor force in the informal economy, in addition to the lack of social security for about 4 billion people? If the answer is no, and I think it is, then the second logical question to raise is: "Do we have the ability to collectively recover from the crisis and look forward to a better future?" And if the answer is yes, and I think we want it to be so, then which path should we follow? Should we continue with the old policies or try searching for new ones?

Allow me as well to point out the following aspects, that may contribute to the discussions on these questions:

First:
As we have agreed that it would be difficult to continue in the current situation, we must also agree that we would not recover from the crisis without having integrated policies, effective mechanisms for their implementation, and the financial capacity to do so.
Many developing and least developed countries will have great difficulties to overcome such challenges.

Second:
Recovery from the crisis is possible, if there is a sincere international will and if all parties are committed to the principle of responsibility and burden sharing, within the framework of a true international partnership with clear mechanisms and specific responsibilities.

Third:
The reordering of priorities, which usually accompanies post-crisis phases, should not lead us to divergent paths that would impede our collective efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals or undermine the confidence that we have all placed in these goals and their implementation mechanisms, with their economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

Fourth:
The role of international institutions and organizations in formulating labor policies- that can help find solutions to social problems that arise and develop rapidly- is important, in a way that could be beyond the ability of the current international system to cope with and adapt to them.

Here, I would like to point out the centrality of what the ILO is doing in this context, especially the “Global Call to Action for a Human-Centred Recovery from the COVID-19 Crisis ". It was adopted at the International Labor Conference in 2021, to be a clear platform for action for all parties, in order to achieve a human-centred comprehensive and sustainable recovery.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The global climate crisis and its negative repercussions, undoubtedly, cast a shadow over our countries' efforts to recover from the pandemic and overcome its multiple effects, especially in developing countries.

Despite this, our world today does not have the luxury of waiting or failing to make the efforts needed to confront climate change and prevent its effects.

Therefore, I reiterate the need to find ways to enable developing countries to fulfill their commitments and raise their climate action ambition, in accordance with the “Paris Agreement”, without prejudice to the principles of equity and transitional justice, while providing social protection and supporting efforts to achieve development and eradicate poverty.

This will not be achieved without providing a favorable international environment that contributes to mobilizing the necessary funding for developing countries to support their efforts to confront climate change, adapt to its effects, and build resilience, while putting commitments into practice, and reducing the gaps in international climate action, at all levels.

This is some of what we aspire to achieve during Egypt's presidency of the upcoming climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh by the end of this year. We will work with all parties impartially and transparently to that end.

In conclusion, I look forward to receiving the outcomes and results that will be adopted at the forum and reflect the valuable discussions and deliberations that took place during the forum.

I am confident that they will contribute to enhancing our understanding of the magnitude and dimensions of the global problem we are facing and ways to move forward toward finding effective solutions to them that would fulfil the legitimate aspirations and hopes of our peoples.

Thank you