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UNDP, BUE sign new protocol for univ. students to participate in SDGs-related initiatives
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the British University in Egypt (BUE) signed a new cooperation protocol to strengthen cooperation between them in the fields of sustainable development and getting BUE students to participate in initiatives related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr. Hany Swelim witnessed the signing of the cooperation protocol between BUE President Professor Mohamed Loutfi and UNDP Resident Representative Alessandro Fracassetti.
The protocol aims at encouraging the youth participation in green transformation through environmental initiatives and other initiatives related to the SDGs, as well as continued cooperation and support for the Climate Summit simulation model as a sustainable activity.
The protocol seeks to support the implementation of the sustainable development agenda, the exchange and transfer of knowledge, the development of innovation strategies, youth qualification and rehabilitation, besides raising awareness about sustainable development and climate issues through several activities, mainly the Climate Summit simulation model.
It also supports providing recommendations on topics of national priority, and supports research activities and applied research in several fields, on top of which are climate issues such as desalination projects.
Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhi said that “signing this protocol completes our collective journey towards sustainable development, and that launching a platform for the Climate Summit simulation model stresses our commitment to address the pressing challenges of climate change and promote the global agenda to create a more resilient future.”
“Let us reaffirm our commitment to foster innovations, knowledge sharing and inclusive participation together to create meaningful change and chart a path towards a more sustainable world for future generations,” the Minister of Youth continued.
Dr. Hany Swelim, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, praised the efforts of UNDP and the British University in Egypt for achieving sustainability and implementing Egypt’s Vision 2030, noting that the British University and UNDP are on the right track to implement important projects and innovations related to desalination and renewable energy to serve Egypt’s future plans. He also highlighted the idea of bringing students from all over the world and engaging them in climate action, which is inspiring in light of the need to find future climate leaders, especially young ones, to achieve the desired goals.
Swelim added that achieving the sustainable development goals depends on applying the interconnection concept between water, food and energy, and therefore the desalination of water is necessary in the future for intensive food production, especially with the limited water resources in Egypt. He also stressed the importance of applying the concept of water sustainability, which the ministry was able to achieve during the COP27 climate summit by putting water at the center of global climate action, as the water sector is one of the most affected sectors by climate change.
For his part, UNDP Resident Representative Alessandro Fracassetti said that the partnership with the British University in Egypt – which started two years ago with the “Marathon for Climate” event, that was attended by more than 10,000 participants, and the COP27 simulation model, in which 130 students from 21 universities representing 25 countries participated – is very effective, and. This collaboration with the British University in Egypt focuses on empowering and educating youth, raising awareness about climate change, and supporting global climate action.
He added that the COP simulation website which is about to be launched will continue to support youth voices in impactful ways as we stand side by side with the next generation of climate change leaders and activists.
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Lotfy, BUE President, stressed that the signing of this protocol highlights the constructive cooperation and successful partnership between the British University and UNDP, which has lasted for two consecutive years, and which resulted in many major projects and initiatives that play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals and developing solutions to address the issue of climate change – most notably the organization of two COP27 – COP28 Climate Summit Simulations Models, and the participation in the two climate summit conferences in Sharm El Sheikh and the UAE, with the aim of creating a young generation that is aware of climate change and its responsibilities.
Dr. Lotfy added that the British University pioneered cooperation with the UNDP, and was the first university to start, and even renew, its partnership with UNDP.
He also stressed the university’s keenness on creating new cooperation horizons, complementing the successful initiatives launched together, and meeting around one common goal to ensure a better future and comprehensive development.
The BUE President stressed that this cooperation will also continue this year to launch new initiatives that contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals and Egypt Vision 2030, such as the “Marathon for Public Health” scheduled for next April, as well as the cooperation with Azerbaijan to organize a third edition of the Climate Summit simulation model.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Farid, CEO of the Financial Regulatory Authority, said that Egypt plays a major role at the local and global levels in addressing the issue of climate change and developing solutions to confront carbon emissions, pointing out the need to encourage companies and investors to actively seek to reduce carbon emissions, and to know and measure the real situation so that we can manage and deal with it, explaining that sustainability consists of two main elements: financial safety and environmental safety, and therefore all projects related to the environment and preservation cannot be achieved without the availability of appropriate financing.
In the same context, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Dr. Abeer Choucoueir said “We have had a close and fruitful collaboration with the British University in Egypt for the past two years, and have been able to raise awareness and build capacity on climate change and engage youth from around the world in global discussions on climate action. Today, we are renewing our partnership and launching a website as a knowledge hub to ensure the sustainability and growth of our activities, and I look forward to working together to empower more young people.”
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