Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Ahmed Rostom, has held a series of bilateral meetings with development partners and government officials on the sidelines of the 2026 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York. The discussions focused on strengthening co-operation and advancing Egypt’s Vision 2030.
During a meeting on Friday with Lisa Kurbiel, Head of the Secretariat of the UN Joint SDG Fund, Rostom highlighted Egypt’s submission of its fourth Voluntary National Review (VNR) and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the “Beyond GDP” agenda.
He stressed the importance of boosting national statistical capacities to develop indicators that measure broader dimensions of development and human well-being alongside traditional economic metrics.
Rostom also praised the fund’s support for Egypt’s Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF), describing it as a vital tool for addressing financing gaps and directing resources toward development priorities. Kurbiel commended Egypt’s active role in the fund’s advisory group and expressed readiness to support the sharing of Egypt’s development experience with other nations.
The minister also met Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Bahrain’s Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Economic Development Board. The two ministers discussed their countries’ VNR presentations at this year’s forum, agreeing to strengthen technical co-operation, exchange best practices, and deepen bilateral economic ties.
In a separate meeting with Claudia Bauer, Austria’s Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Rostom reviewed Egypt’s post-IMF economic transformation programme. This initiative focuses on fiscal discipline, macroeconomic stability, competitiveness, foreign direct investment, and sustainable public debt management.
The two ministers also addressed the economic impacts of regional geopolitical tensions, emphasizing the crucial role of long-term planning in building more resilient economies.
