The Agriculture Ministry is participating in the proceedings of the governmental team concerned with drafting the post-2030 convention strategy to fight global desertification, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry on Friday.
It comes in implementation of directives issued by Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk to the Desert Research Centre (DRC) and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to strengthen Egypt’s role and support African countries in shaping the continent’s future in combating desertification and adapting to drought.
DRC chief and Egypt’s Coordinator for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Hossam Shawky said Egypt’s participation in the team came following the conclusion of the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention, held in Panama. Meetings began at the headquarters of the UNCCD in Bonn, Germany, and will continue until tomorrow to prepare the new strategic framework.
He added that Egypt currently plays the role of chief African negotiator on the drought file, supporting the African position based on its regional and Arab responsibilities, in line with its national priorities in this vital sector.
Meanwhile, Executive Coordinator and Egypt’s representative at the Committee on Science and Technology Ahmed Abdel-Aati, currently participating in the meetings from the DRC, said the team’s work will produce the initial draft of the strategy, which will be reviewed after one month in preparation for presentation at the upcoming meeting of states parties in Mongolia next August.
