Deputy Secretary-General's, MS. AMINA MOHAMMED, Video Message to Egypt’s International Cooperation Forum - ICF

Your Excellency Dr. Mostafa Madbouly [Prime Minister],

Your Excellency Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, [Minister of International Cooperation],  

Distinguished participants,

It is a pleasure to participate in this First Edition of the International Cooperation Forum, organized under the patronage of His Excellency, President Al-Sisi.

With less than a decade left until 2030, the COVID-19 pandemic is posing severe risks to the SDGs.

The climate crisis is already wreaking havoc across the globe. Widening inequalities, exacerbated by the pandemic, pose a moral question for our collective conscience and a growing threat to social cohesion and mutual trust.  

Despite these challenges, the 2030 Agenda remains our globally-agreed blueprint for action.

The SDGs are our best hope to emerge from the pandemic and accelerate the transition to an equitable, sustainable, inclusive and resilient future, with human rights and human dignity for all. 

Strong and effective international cooperation and multilateralism are key to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

This can drive innovation, supported by sustainable financing at scale.

Recent success in developing COVID-19 vaccines at record speed was the result of effective cooperation across a range of stakeholders, supported by innovative financing.

International cooperation and multilateralism can deliver timely solutions to the most pressing challenges. But much more needs to be done.

Achieving the SDGs will require transferring and sharing knowledge and experiences between countries and across borders.  

The ICF is an important platform to explore the potential of all development stakeholders in addressing development challenges and sharing catalytic solutions, especially in the African context.

Our United Nations country teams around the world stand ready to support you in adapting these solutions and engaging with all relevant stakeholders.  

I congratulate the Government of Egypt for its leadership in convening this important forum, with the participation of all stakeholders, to work jointly on building a strong recovery from the pandemic and accelerating progress on the SDGs.

I wish the forum all success and thank President Al-Sisi for his leadership.