Minister Sharawy signs a MOU with UNFPA

31 مارس 2019


In accordance with the ministry of local development’s support to put the national population strategy into action in order to control the high population growth, minister Sharawy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alexander Sasha, UNFPA representative. The MOU between the ministry and UNFPA will accelerate the implementation of the national population strategy that will be applied on five governorates in cooperation with the national population council. The signing ceremony was attended by Mrs. Dawlat Sharawy, the population expert and UNFPA advisor and Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Higazy, minister advisor for international cooperation.

Minister Sharawy asserted that the MOU comes in line with the state’s effort to put into action 2030 development plan and in achieving UN sustainable development strategy> The minister added that the project will target four governorates known of their high population growth rate which are: Menya, Assiut, Sohag, and Qena along with Kalyoubya that achieved remarkable progress in controlling population growth and its experience can be applied in the other four governorates.  

His excellency added that the goals to be achieved and the actions to be followed were determined at the level of each village and district. This is beside establishing a central data system that includes the population rate, the social demographics, the services, natural resources, the problems and challenges of all cities, villages, and slums.

The minister also said that a project implementation unit (PIU) will be established at the ministry premises and will be responsible on the follow up of the project progress and coordination with the national population council in order to put the project goals into actions. This aside forming sub-units in the five governorates that the project will target in its first stage before extending it to the rest of the 27 governorates starting from next year till 2022>

Minister Sharawy asserted on the importance of comforting the population growth which threatens any progress towards development and negatively influences the poverty and illiteracy rates as well as education and health levels. His excellency also emphasized that the confrontation of high population growth requires a comprehensive plan that include all national entities represented in the governorates and cooperate with the national population council and different ministries.

The signing of the protocol comes in accordance with the 25th anniversary of hosting the “International conference on Population and Development – ICPD” in Cairo.  

The national population strategy is not the responsibility of one ministry and its goals can only be achieved through a comprehensive plan that the project will seek to reach in cooperation with the national population council and in reinforcing partnership with concerned ministries as education, trade and industry, social solidarity, youth and sports, etc. Each ministry is responsible to meet the goals of the national population strategy in its area of specialization such as; the demographic characteristics, population redistribution and social justice issues (women rights, children rights, human rights, disabled rights, etc.) which became part of ministry of local development priorities recently.

Minister Sharawy said that the government has launched ‘two are enough’ campaign in the last period as part of the national population strategy to put control over the population rise. This is beside providing programs for combating illiteracy and encouraging women education and work which will help in raising the awareness of the problems of high population growth. His excellency added that the ministry is making partnerships with the UN and other international organizations which would support the ministry’s efforts in implementing the development projects in the governorates, confronting the challenges meeting development plans, and providing new capacities>

In line with the ministry’s effort to widen its network with international partners and stakeholders, the ministry will organize a workshop that will include different international organizations and entities in the first week of April.

UNFPA representative, Alexander Sasha has asserted on the ministry’s role in implementing the national population strategy and added that the EU as well as the governments of Sweden and Canada along with others will provide fund in the coming period for programs and projects implemented in a number of Egyptian governorates. Sasha extended his greetings to minister Sharawy who supported the UNFPA representatives in having a meeting with a number of governors to cooperate with regard to the implementation of the national population strategy.