Global Compact Egypt at 25: UN Highlights Growing Role of Business in Egypt’s Sustainable and Regional LeadershipA vibrant anniversary gathering brings together business leaders and development partners as the United Nations calls for deeper private sector engagement in sustainable, inclusive, and green growth.Cairo — Business leaders, development partners, senior officials, and United Nations representatives convened in Cairo to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the UN Global Compact Network Egypt, marking a quarter-century of advancing responsible business practices and strengthening the private sector’s contribution to sustainable development.The vibrant event served both as a celebration of progress and a platform for forward-looking dialogue, highlighting the evolving role of business in addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges in Egypt and beyond.In her keynote address, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt underscored the significance of the milestone. “For 25 years, the Global Compact has embodied a conviction that grows more relevant every day: that business is not only a driver of economic growth, but a catalyst for sustainable development and positive social change,” she said. She noted that the expectations placed on the private sector have fundamentally shifted. “The world we face today demands a profound change in how business engages with society,” the Resident Coordinator said. “Avoiding harm is no longer enough. Business must proactively lead efforts that build resilient economies, protect our planet, and empower people.”Reflecting on Egypt’s trajectory, she highlighted the country’s growing momentum in responsible business practices, including investments in renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, and sustainable finance. “Egypt stands at a unique crossroads,” she said. “With its young and dynamic population and ambitious development vision, Egypt is well positioned to become a beacon of responsible business in the region.”While progress has been notable, the UN Resident Coordinator emphasized that the scale of current challenges requires a more collective and transformative approach. “The coming decade calls for sustainability to be deeply embedded into every aspect of business,” she said, “transforming responsibility into a competitive advantage and a source of lasting resilience.” Looking ahead, she outlined three strategic priorities to guide future action: deeper integration of the Global Compact’s Ten Principles across core business operations and supply chains; accelerated private sector investment aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in clean energy, water and food security, digital infrastructure, and skills development for youth and women; and leveraging Egypt’s position to help lead Africa’s sustainability agenda.“Egypt’s role transcends its borders,” she emphasized. “By championing climate solutions tailored to regional realities, strengthening local enterprises, expanding South-South trade, and fostering inclusive industrialization, Egypt can help drive a just and green transition across the continent.”Reaffirming the UN’s commitment to partnership, the Resident Coordinator stressed that sustainable development cannot be achieved by governments alone. “The United Nations remains committed to working hand in hand with the private sector to accelerate this transition,” she said.She concluded with a clear message to business leaders: “When business leads with purpose and integrity, progress inevitably follows.” The anniversary also featured reflections from global development leaders, including Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda, who addressed the gathering via video conference. He highlighted how profoundly the global business environment has changed since the Global Compact was launched.“The world today is very different from 25 years ago,” Mr. Mohieldin said. “We are clearly operating in a new environment when it comes to how business is conducted—across governments, the public sector, and the private sector alike.”He stressed that this shifting context makes the Global Compact’s principles more relevant than ever, particularly as countries and companies approach the final stretch of the 2030 Agenda. “More than ever before, we need to see the Ten Principles fully factored into national practices and regional work,” he said, welcoming the growing emphasis on partnerships and acceleration to deliver results on the SDGs.The event concluded with a recognition ceremony honoring the early adopters of the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles—companies and leaders who laid the foundation for responsible business practices in Egypt. Ms. Walaa El Husseiny, Executive Director of the Global Compact Network Egypt, Mr. Ahmed Ismail, Chairman of Global Compact Egypt, and Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, presented tokens of appreciation in tribute to their pioneering commitment, recognizing their role in advancing sustainability, integrity, and inclusive growth over the past 25 years.  

It wasn’t an average Thursday morning in Manhattan. In the early hours, UN diplomats (and UN News) hit the streets in their sneakers – from Times Square to East River – following a route that traced the shape of “UN@80”. Inside the General Assembly Hall, delegates gathered to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its signing.They reflected on the past eight decades in which the UN helped rebuild countries after the Second World War, supported former colonies’ independence, fostered peace, delivered aid, advanced human rights and development, and tackling emerging threats like climate change.To save succeeding generations from the scourge of warGeneral Assembly President Philémon Yang described the moment as “symbolic” but somber, noting ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and the growing challenges to multilateralism.He urged nations to choose diplomacy over force and uphold the Charter’s vision of peace and human dignity: “We must seize the moment and choose dialogue and diplomacy instead of destructive wars.”Secretary-General António Guterres echoed this call, warning that the Charter’s principles are increasingly under threat and must be defended as the bedrock of international relations.“The Charter of the United Nations is not optional. It is not an à la carte menu. It is the bedrock of international relations,” he said, stressing the need to recommit to its promises “for peace, for justice, for progress, for we the peoples.”Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Security Council President for June, emphasized the urgency of renewed collective action to address emerging global threats.“Let this 80th anniversary of the Charter be not just an occasion for reflection, but also a call to action,” she urged.UN Photo/Loey FelipeGeneral Assembly commemorates 80th anniversary of the signing of UN Charter.To unite our strength to maintain international peace and securityEighty years ago, on 26 June 1945, delegates from 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to sign a document that would change the course of history.Forged in the aftermath of the Second World War, by a generation scarred by the Great Depression and the Holocaust and having learnt the painful lessons of the League of Nations’ collapse, the Charter of the United Nations represented a new global pact.Its preamble – “We the peoples of the United Nations” – echoed the determination to prevent future conflict, reaffirm faith in human rights, and promote peace and social progress.That very document, preserved by the United States National Archives and Records Administration, has returned – for the first time in decades – to the heart of the institution it founded.Now on public display at UN Headquarters through September, the original Charter stands as a powerful symbol: not just of a past promise, but of an enduring commitment to multilateralism, peace and shared purpose. Video: UN Charter returns to UN HeadquartersTo promote social progress and better standards of lifeMore voices – from the presidents of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – also took the floor, reaffirming the enduring relevance of the Charter and the need to defend it.Bob Rae, ECOSOC President, drew an arc through human history to underscore the UN’s relative youth – just eight decades old in a global context of millennia.“We currently have the advantage of being able to lucidly look at what we have accomplished, while also recognizing our successes and failures,” he said, holding up a copy of the Charter once used by his father.“The United Nations is not a government and the Charter is not perfect,” he said, “but it was founded with great aspirations and hope.”ICJ President Judge Yuji Iwasawa reflected on the progress since 1945 and the challenges still facing the global community.“In the 80 years since the drafters of the Charter set down their pens, the international community has achieved remarkable progress. However, it also faces many challenges,” he said. “The vision of the Charter’s drafters to uphold the rule of law for the maintenance of international peace and security, remains not only relevant but indispensable today.”UN Photo/Loey FelipeJordan Sanchez, a young poet, speaks at the General Assembly during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rightsIn a powerful reminder that the Charter speaks not only to the past but to future generations, Jordan Sanchez, a young poet took the stage.Her spoken word piece, Let the Light Fall, evoked not declarations, but feelings of hope and vision for a better world.“Let the light fall,” she began, “on fallen faces hidden in the shadow of scorn…where may the children run towards the light of your face, towards the warmth of your presence and the stillness of your peace.”“There is no fear, only abundance, of safety, of security, of knowing there will always be enough light for me” she said, describing a dreamscape of Eden restored – not a paradise lost, but glimpsed in justice, fairness and shared humanity.“Let us be bold enough to look down and take it, humble enough to kneel down and bathe in it, loving enough to collect and share it, and childish enough to truly, truly believe in it.”The equal rights of men and womenAs the world marks 80 years of the UN Charter, it’s worth remembering that its promise of equal rights for men and women was hard-won from the very start.In 1945, just four women were among the 850 delegates who gathered in San Francisco to sign the document, and only 30 of the represented countries granted women the right to vote.In a 2018 UN News podcast, researchers spotlighted these overlooked trailblazers – and asked why the women who helped shape the UN’s founding vision are so often left out of its story.
 

Joint Op-ed by Ambassador Khaled El Bakly, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs for Multilateral & International Security Affairs Elena Panova, UN Egypt Resident Coordinator As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary, the legacy of UN peacekeeping stands as one of the clearest and most enduring expressions of multilateral cooperation. For nearly eight decades, the service and sacrifice of Blue Helmets have saved and changed lives—helping countries navigate the difficult path from war to peace.From Cyprus to Lebanon, and from the Central African Republic to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 76,000 civilian, military, and police personnel currently serve in 11 missions around the world. These men and women offer a lifeline to millions living in some of the world’s most fragile political and security environments.In light of these growing pressures, it is essential to rethink the role of peacekeeping within the broader international peace and security architecture. As President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has rightly asserted “peacekeeping—while a vital tool of the international community—should not be viewed as the sole means of maintaining peace”. H.E further emphasized that “it cannot substitute preventive diplomacy, mediation, peacebuilding, or the political, economic, and social measures necessary to address root causes and mend societal fractures”, underscoring that “peacekeeping must not become the default or immediate response to every crisis”.This year’s International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed under the theme “The Future of Peacekeeping”—a theme that could not be more timely or relevant. Peacekeeping today faces mounting and unprecedented challenges. Conflicts are growing longer, deadlier, and more complex. They increasingly spill across borders and are exacerbated by terrorism, organized crime, cyber warfare, disinformation, and the weaponization of technology. Climate change, meanwhile, deepens instability in already-vulnerable regions. And divergent views within the UN Security Council have made consensus more elusive — slowing the pace of action, precisely when urgency is most needed.As UN Secretary-General António Guterres bluntly put it: “Trust is in short supply among—and within—countries and regions… This is a grim diagnosis, but we must face facts.” Among the most urgent issues is the growing and persistent mismatch between what peacekeeping missions are asked to achieve and the resources that are not available to do so. This undermines effectiveness and places peacekeepers in situations “where there is little or no peace to keep”.The Pact for the Future, adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Future, offers a moment of reckoning—and opportunity. It affirms that peace operations can only succeed when backed by political will and accompanied by inclusive strategies that address the root causes of conflict. It rightly emphasizes the need for peacekeeping missions to be supported by predictable, adequate, and sustained financing.The Pact also mandates a comprehensive review of UN peace operations—a chance to rethink and reform the peacekeeping model. Today’s high-risk environments demand that missions be equipped with the right tools, partnerships, and strategies to protect civilians and support peacebuilding effectively.Egypt, through its 65 years of active participation in United Nations peacekeeping has long demonstrated a strong, sustained and unwavering commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Since it first deployed troops to the UN Operation in the Congo in 1960, Egypt has contributed over 30,000 of its sons and daughters to 37 missions across 24 countries and has consistently remained one of the top contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping. Egypt currently has 1205 peacekeepers, including women, serving across five missions in AfricaEgypt’s longstanding record of service and sacrifice in peacekeeping is globally recognized. This is reflected in its re-election as Rapporteur of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, its recent election to the UN Peacebuilding Commission, and its appointment as co-facilitator for the upcoming 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review in both the General Assembly and the Security Council.Egypt’s leadership in peacekeeping is not limited to troop contributions. It plays an active role in shaping strategic thinking around reform. Through the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA)—an African Union Center of Excellence. Egypt has championed context-sensitive, innovative, and inclusive peace operations. The CCCPA emphasizes prevention, civilian protection, and regional partnerships while strengthening the participation of women in peacekeeping, in line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Through the CCCPA annual Aswan Forum, Egypt further promotes African-led solutions and stronger peacekeeping–peacebuilding synergies. This work, carried out in close cooperation with the UN in Egypt, is a prime example of effective South-South cooperation and the value of locally driven solutions. Egypt also actively contributes to training African and international uniformed peacekeepers through specialized facilities operated by the Ministry of Interior via the Egyptian Center for Peacekeeping Operations, and by the Ministry of Defense through its Liaison Agency with International Organizations (LAWIO).Egypt is also a staunch supporter of the UN Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative. In 2018, Egypt convened a landmark high-level international conference aimed at improving peacekeeping effectiveness. The event led to the “Cairo Roadmap for Peacekeeping Operations,” a concrete framework of shared commitments that was later endorsed by the African Union in 2020. This year, as we remember the 4,430 peacekeepers who have given their lives in the pursuit of peace, we must go beyond commemoration by upholding the principles for which they paid the ultimate sacrifice. Over 60 Egyptian peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives while serving as part of UN operations across the globe. Their sacrifice is a sobering reminder of the growing risks peacekeepers face, and our collective duty to ensure they are provided with the necessary means to fulfill their mandates.At the recently concluded 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin this May, Egypt reaffirmed its strong commitment to advancing UN peacekeeping through planned deployments, the preparation of well-trained officers, and expanded training efforts. It pledged to provide specialized capabilities, deploy qualified personnel to UN missions, and enhance training in coordination with international partners. Egypt also highlighted the importance of integrating technology, drawing on lessons from regional transitions, and promoting gender parity—underscoring its intention to surpass the UN’s targets for women's participation in uniformed roles.As the United Nations continues to face significant challenges and in the context of a region affected by multiple conflicts, Egypt has stood firm as a staunch and reliable partner to global peace and security. Furthermore, Egypt has expressed its readiness to provide all necessary support for the UN80 initiative this year in order to help make it a success to achieve effectiveness and rationalization to help meet the acute financial challenges faced by the United Nations and peacekeeping. In that regard, Egypt’s readiness and preparedness to host United Nations’ agencies, programs and offices that might be up for relocation as per the UN80 initiative is to be highly commended. Egypt’s strategic location—at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East—positions it as a natural hub for connectivity and cooperation. Its central time zone and proximity to key regions make it an ideal and cost-effective location, reducing travel time and facilitating seamless coordination. With direct access to both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal - a vital artery of global trade - Egypt offers unmatched maritime connectivity. It’s highly connected international airports and geographical proximity to conflict zones further enhances its relevance as a center for diplomacy, crisis response and peacekeeping efforts.Egypt’s vast experience with peacekeeping and related provision of humanitarian assistance are certainly also worth highlighting as advantageous. As host to multiple international and regional organizations and offices including the seat of the League of Arab States and with over 140 represented embassies in Cairo, Egypt remains a geo-political hub with an already strong United Nations’ presence, a modern infrastructure, and well-recognized levels of safety. As the Secretary-General has said: “Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations—and the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges.” Peacekeeping missions are under strain. However, with renewed multilateral resolve, adequate resourcing, and bold reforms, we can empower UN peacekeepers to remain a vital force for peace, stability, and hope in a troubled world, and Egypt, in cooperation with the United Nations remains at the forefront of nations providing such support.   

Cairo - Against the backdrop of rapidly changing global and regional landscape—marked by socio-economic uncertainty and a redefined approach to financing for development—representatives from across the United Nations system in Egypt convened for their annual UN Country Team (UNCT) retreat. The gathering served as a critical moment for reflection and renewed commitment to advancing national priorities and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over the course of two days, participants engaged in a series of strategic discussions focused on the changing global and regional socio-economic, political, and security landscape and its implications for UN operations in Egypt. The sessions offered an opportunity to reassess current approaches and explore new strategies for delivering on the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF)—the central instrument guiding the UN’s development work in Egypt – and supporting Egypt to progress further on the human rights agenda. Taking place only weeks ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), in Sevilla, Spain, the sessions included a high-level intervention, by Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, who spoke about the global shifts and emerging trends in the development financing landscape and their impact on Egypt’s sustainable development trajectory.  While acknowledging existing challenges for Egypt that require a new comprehensive approach for development, Mohieldin also highlighted key advantages for the country when it comes to localization, digitalization and data, along with the potential to benefit from the demographic dividend, encouraging all stakeholders to invest more in human capital as well as in digital infrastructure, in partnership with the private sector. The discussions also underscored the UN’s role in supporting the implementation of Egypt’s Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF), a key tool for mobilizing and aligning resources with national priorities. Deepening engagement with top UNSDCF partners was also on top of the meeting’s agenda, with a high-level discussion including the Ambassadors of Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and Canada, along with EU Head of Development Cooperation and USAID Country Director for Egypt – weighing on the repercussions of the announced Official Development Assistance (ODA) cuts and shifting partner’s priorities globally and in Egypt. The session further reflected on the evolving development cooperation landscape and discussed ways to enhance collective impact. Furthermore, the retreat featured a high-level exchange with H.E. Ambassador Osama Abdelkhalek, Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who shared valuable insights into Egypt’s global engagement priorities and opportunities for strengthened collaboration with the UN system, including on the UN80 initiative.The UN Country Team also took time to reflect internally on how to adapt its coordination and partnership strategies in response to these shifting dynamics. This included a review of UN positioning on key country transitions that highlighted the need to put youth at the center of UN programming and advocated for expanded dialogue with the private sector.  Throughout the retreat, the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) played a central role in facilitating strategic dialogue and coordination, highlighting the RC system’s ability to convene diverse actors and improve the effectiveness of the UN’s country-level work.“The challenges are immense, but only with our collective ability to lead and come together around key national priorities can we deliver for the people we serve. We will continue to mobilize the UN system and leverage our convening power and work hand in hand with our development partners to support the government of Egypt in its journey to deliver for its people. Our commitment remains clear: to ensure that no one is left behind,” said the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Elena Panova.