Egypt: CEDARE Meeting & UN Desertification Efforts
- Cairo – As she prepares to take on a leadership role with the United Nations convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Egypt's Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad recently presided over...
- Fouad chaired the 18th Board of Trustees meeting of the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE).
- Among those attending were Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, who co-chaired the session, and UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Amna Al-Dahak.
Egypt is stepping up Arab environmental cooperation ahead of a prominent UN role. Discover how Minister Yasmine Fouad is championing regional efforts at the CEDARE meeting,focusing on pivotal discussions around sustainable development and the strategic importance of circular economy solutions to tackle water scarcity,a primarykeyword. Saudi Arabia’s commitment to CEDARE serves as a laudable model, and the involvement of European entities is critical. This meeting lays the groundwork for enhanced regional cooperation, with a spotlight on climate change mitigation. The UN Desertification Efforts will benefit from these coordinated strategies. Read more about this crucial secondarykeyword from News Directory 3.discover what’s next for environmental leadership.
Egypt Champions Arab Environmental Cooperation Ahead of UN Role
Updated may 27, 2025
Cairo – As she prepares to take on a leadership role with the United Nations convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Egypt’s Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad recently presided over a key meeting focused on regional environmental cooperation and lasting development.
Fouad chaired the 18th Board of Trustees meeting of the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE). The gathering, held at the Grand Egyptian Museum, drew high-level officials from across the Arab world and international organizations.
Among those attending were Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, who co-chaired the session, and UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Amna Al-Dahak. Representatives from Yemen, Jordan, Bahrain, the Arab League, the Islamic Development Bank, the University of Malta, and various UN programs also participated.
Fouad praised Saudi Arabia’s significant technical and financial backing of CEDARE, calling it a “model for institutional revitalization.” She voiced hope that this approach could be mirrored in othre regional bodies.
She also acknowledged Khaled Fahmy, CEDARE’s interim executive director, for his work in revitalizing the center. Fouad stressed that CEDARE must continue to align with Arab environmental priorities as regional challenges intensify. She emphasized the strategic importance of European involvement in CEDARE, urging member states to capitalize on momentum from recent climate events to transform climate risks into development opportunities.
Addressing critical regional threats, Fouad highlighted water scarcity and food insecurity, both worsened by climate change. She promoted circular economy approaches, developed with Saudi Arabia, to tackle these issues through efficient water use, waste management, and renewable energy adoption. Fouad advocated for a strategic and administrative restructuring of CEDARE to boost its effectiveness and encouraged greater private sector involvement to advance regional sustainability.
Al-Fadhli echoed the call for reform, stressing the need to redefine CEDARE’s mission and strengthen its systems to enhance Arab-European cooperation on environmental governance. He also highlighted regional sustainability efforts, including the Saudi-led Middle East Green Initiative.
CEDARE Executive Director Khaled Fahmy congratulated Fouad on her upcoming UN role and reaffirmed the center’s commitment to its mandate. Mahmoud fathallah, Egypt’s representative to the Arab League, presented a proposal to enhance regional collaboration on circular economy frameworks. Samah Saleh, head of CEDARE’s Sustainable Development Unit, emphasized the urgency of improving resource efficiency.
The Board of Trustees approved a one-year extension of its current term and reviewed financial and institutional reports, focusing on governance reforms and partnership development.
What’s next
As Fouad transitions to her UNCCD role, the focus remains on implementing CEDARE’s strategic priorities and fostering greater regional collaboration on sustainable development and circular economy initiatives to combat environmental challenges.