Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Kabbaj participated on Sunday in the first Arab Conference on Climate and Sustainable Development under the slogan ‘Green… Life’, which was organised by the Council of Arab Economic Unity within the framework of the ongoing preparations for Egypt’s hosting of the COP27.
El-Kabbaj said that Egypt is committed to the 2015 Paris Accords, which obligated countries to develop plans to reduce emissions. She also noted that today’s conference comes within the framework of the existing partnership between the various concerned parties to implement Egypt’s 2030 Vision for Sustainable Development, especially in the context of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s declaration that 2022 is the Year of Civil Society and the launch of the National Strategy for Volunteering.
Furthermore, the minister explained that the Ministry of Social Solidarity is working on a strong and effective presence of civil society and volunteers at the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate (COP27) that will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November and presenting an image that reflects the reality of the great efforts of Egyptian NGOs that aim provide means of protection from economic, social, and environmental risks and providing a decent life for the most vulnerable groups.
Additionally, El-Kabbaj stated that her ministry is working to implement the National Strategy to Combat Climate Change by contributing to achieving the second goal of the strategy, which aims for building resilience and adaptability to climate change and mitigating the negative effects associated with it.
The ministry has also adopted various policies and programmes over the past years to alleviate multidimensional poverty, including the environmental, cultural, and food security dimensions.
Moreover, El-Kabbaj confirmed that the ministry has counted workers in the irregular employment sectors — including waste workers — and established an integrated database in cooperation with NGOs working in the field of the environment in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Manpower and has facilitated insurance procedures for workers in the integrated waste management system and other environmental projects.
