Mashaat, UN officials probe cooperation towards women empowerment

CAIRO, Jan 25 (MENA) - Minister of International Cooperation Rania el Mashat on Saturday discussed with UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Women Agency Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuk means of boosting cooperation towards promoting projects that seek empowering Egyptian women.

During the meeting, that was held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mashaat highlighted efforts of the government to promote the effective role of women in development in line with the strategy of empowering Egyptian women till 2030, which was launched by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in 2017.

Minister Mashat also met with World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley and discussed prospects of strengthening partnership within the framework of Egypt's Vision 2030, regarding food security, supporting small farmers and backing the national school feeding program.

Beasley, meanwhile, said the UN program will continue supporting efforts of the Egyptian government towards attaining the sustainable developments goals.

During another meeting with head of the International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) Gilbert Houngbo, the minister reviewed ways of boosting cooperation in light of the current operations between the bank and Egypt that are worth 1.1 billion dollars, including 14 projects that benefited over seven million rural residents.

The IFAD projects carried out in Egypt are coping with the objectives of the UN sustainable development as well as the fund's visions that focus on the realization of rural development, said Houngbo.