Egypt hosted the 12th edition of the World Urban Forum from November 4 to 8. The forum was an opportunity to develop collective solutions to make cities more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

On September 23, with Egyptian participation, the Future Summit was held in New York. This summit was seen as an opportunity to rebuild confidence in the international multilateral system, with the United Nations at its heart. The three documents adopted by this summit, namely the "Charter for the Future," the Global Digital Charter, and the "Future Generations Declaration," are important pillars for achieving this goal.

The Future Summit is based on the UN's historical legacy, which spans nearly 80 years of international multilateral work. Egypt's contribution is in three main areas: the maintenance of international peace and security through peacekeeping and disarmament, economic development and environmental issues, and human rights and international social and humanitarian issues.

Egypt's active participation in the Future Summit expressed its leadership and vision on several key global issues. The summit also confirmed Egypt's firm commitment to creating a more equal and inclusive international system, its strong support of sustainable development and financing for development, international peace and security, science, technology, innovation, digital cooperation, and enhancing effective participation in global governance. Egypt's voice was decisive in shaping the summit's outcomes, which aimed to lay the foundation for a new global contract.

At the Future Summit, Egypt also announced the "Integrated National Financing Strategy," the first of its kind in the Arab region, as an additional step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing economic resilience. Egypt's efforts to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) across key sectors aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals were also in the spotlight during the summit. With these national development efforts, there were calls to create a favorable international environment to meet these goals by reforming the multilateral economic structure.

The global economy is facing several shocks that threaten progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Therefore, the UN Secretary-General's stimulus plan for the Sustainable Development Goals, announced in 2023, needs to be remembered. The plan aims to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by pumping liquidity into the economy, enhancing development financing, addressing sovereign debt burdens, and reducing the cost of lending to developing countries.

This year, Egypt held the "Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development," a pioneering initiative that provided a vital and unique platform for a wide range of African stakeholders, including government representatives, private sector leaders, civil society organisations, and youth representatives.

The forum aimed to reimagine global governance and convey the voice of African priorities on peace, security, and development, with a view to reforming the multilateral system and strengthening the global agenda for conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

The partnership between the UN and Egypt is a testament to what can be achieved when national commitments by different countries match the global goals set by the UN. The 2023 Annual Results Report of the UN Country Team in Egypt highlights Egypt's joint achievements with the UN across sectors in line with Egypt's national priorities.

The UN will continue to serve as a beacon of solidarity across the globe, a voice for the voiceless, and a catalyst for progress. Egypt will continue to be a leader in the Arab region and the Middle East in general.

Photo: The UN's Sustainable Development Goals aims to pump liquidity into the economy, enhance development financing, addresssovereign debt burdens, and reduce the cost of lending to developing countries.  by Adobe