United Nations Development Programme in Egypt PATHWAYS TO DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT Finding ways to make human development progress truly sustainable for the seven billion people who now live on our planet and for generations to come is a central challenge of the 21st century. The international community must find pathways to development which maintain ecosystem balance and reduce inequalities. Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator UNDP EGYPT ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT Copyright © 2015 United Nations Development Programme. All rights reserved. Photo credits: page 25, top : CCCPA; page 33: Kadellar / CC BY-SA 3.0; All other photos © UNDP. Written, designed and published by UNDP Country Office in Egypt. Contents DEVELOPMENT WITH LIVELIHOODS AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT A HUMAN FACE 6 EMPLOYMENT 10 AND GENDER EQUALITY 16 ENHANCING ENVIRONMENT AND INNOVATION FOR GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS 22 CLIMATE CHANGE 28 DEVELOPMENT 36 RESEARCH AND WHERE WE WORK RESOURCES AND ADVOCAY 42 46 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 48 4 FOREWORD A partnership for development The UNDP Strategic plan 2014-2017 presents a unifying opportunities, providing poor people with access to legal vision to better help countries achieve the simultaneous aid, or shifting to efficient and renewable energy sources, at eradication of poverty and reduction of inequality and the heart of UNDP’s interventions is people’s empowerment, exclusion. Our work is focused on helping countries backed by institutional systems and processes that can build and share solutions in these critical, interconnected respond to their aspirations. priorities for development action - sustainability, democratic 2015 is a year of historic milestones: It marks the seventieth governance and climate and disaster resilience. anniversary of the founding of the United Nations; it is For over five decades UNDP has been supporting the also when the 15-year quest to achieve the Millennium Egyptian government in striving towards sustainable Development Goals concludes and a new era of global development, providing expert advice at the policy level development commitments begins with the adoption as well as grassroots interventions on the ground. Egypt of Sustainable Development Goals 2030; countries has made good progress towards achieving the Millennium have also endorsed the Addis Ababa action agenda for Development Goals since 2000, particularly in areas related financing Sustainable Development, revitalizing the to income poverty, the under-five mortality rate, sustainable global partnership for development; and Climate Change access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, and Conference in Paris aims to achieve a legally binding and universal primary education. universal agreement on climate from all the nations of the world. This report takes stock of the key achievements of the past five years, highlighting those results that have helped UNDP believes that involving people in the development national authorities and organizations improve the living of solutions to challenges such as youth unemployment, conditions of millions of Egyptians. These results are also the gender and geographic inequalities, as well as energy outcome of exceptional collaboration with the government, shortage is key to building a resilient nation. In this regard, state institutions, civil society, academic bodies, the private UNDP remains fully committed to supporting Egypt sector, UN agencies as well as donors and international to achieve sustainable human development and lead development agencies. We deeply value the collaboration, development innovation in the Arab region and we look trust and support of our partners, without whom these forward to furthering our collaboration with all entities results would not have been achieved. and engaged people to improve the living conditions of all Egyptians. The impact of development assistance is sometimes difficult to measure. While it is easy to measure income and poverty, it is more complex to measure empowerment or behavioural change over a limited timeframe. Yet often it is the soft part of development that is needed to make results sustainable and transformational. This report brings together facts, data and statements from beneficiaries, government officials and development Anita Nirody Ignacio Artaza Resident Representative Country Director partners, all of which testify to the change brought about by UN Resident Coordinator UNDP’s work in Egypt. Whether it is creating employment UNDP EGYPT ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT 5 PARTNERSHIPS WITH IMPACT - In Egypt, Female Genital Mutilation rate has dropped noticeably over the last decade, a good example of social change resulting from the dialogue and collaboration of government, development Women in Qena during an institutions and civil society. awareness session on FGM. 6 DEVELOPMENT WITH A HUMAN FACE Workers in Giza setting up a water pipe to bring drinkable water to the village. A SPECIAL FOCUS ON YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT - Ahmed and thousands of young people like him have climbed out of poverty with the help of the UNDP Public Works programme. UNDP EGYPT ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT 7 Development with a human face For fifty years, the United Nations Development Programme has been supporting Egypt’s government and people in their efforts to reduce poverty, promote human development, and protect the environment, while advocating for human rights and women’s empowerment. Recent years have witnessed change in Egypt after › Initiated a conditional cash transfer system used the 2011 revolution, when people took to the a model to scale-up a national social protection streets calling for bread, freedom, social justice scheme in 2014; and dignity. Young people were at the forefront of › Assisted in building a comprehensive database of the scene, fuelled by widespread aspirations for the poor to enable social subsidies to be targeted political, economic and social inclusion. more effectively, reducing leaks; In the past decade, Egypt has seen progress › Strengthened the technical and operational in its development agenda. The average per capacity of electoral administration of Egyptian capita income has increased significantly, from authorities through exposure to international $1,509 in 2000 to $3,314 in 2014, while basic standards and comparative experiences; living conditions have improved and child and Supported the establishment of twelve nature maternal mortality have dropped considerably › protectorates across the country; during the last decade. But economic growth alone is not sufficient if not translated into greater › The impact of climate change and the opportunities and better livelihoods, especially implementation of adaptation measures was for young people and women, within a framework assessed and is being used for policy making; of political participation, transparency and public › Energy efficiency, concepts, standards and labels accountability, respect for human rights, and have been introduced and promoted. reduced corruption. Change creates new opportunities for development This report presents UNDP’s work in Egypt over and UNDP is committed to continue supporting the past few years, which resulted in a number of Egypt and its people. Egypt was among the leading Economic growth achievements, including: countries in the achievement of the Millennium › 605,000 work/days created in public works during Development Goals, ranking second in 2011. UNDP alone is not sufficient 2010-2014; stands ready to provide the requisite technical and implementation assistance to enable the country if not translated into › Strengthened the capacity of the Social Fund meet the post-2015 Sustainable Development for Development to become the largest national greater opportunities Goals. institution providing livelihood opportunities for and better livelihoods the poor; 8 DEVELOPMENT WITH A HUMAN FACE How we We build We take the Thought sustainable road less leadership work solutions travelled and advocacy We develop models and We promote South-South Better measurement and solutions building on our cooperation among developing monitoring of development extensive global knowledge countries to introduce conditions are critical to network, through local sustainable and affordable understanding the issues. adaptation and replication. solutions that improve living Improved data and knowledge, conditions. We link sources of through analytical research, knowledge and widen the circle such as the National Human of opportunity for all. Development Reports, enable policy making focused on the convergence between poverty, social equity, environmental and governance issues. UNDP EGYPT ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT 9 Since 1953 The United Nations began providing development assistance to Egypt in 1953 through the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (EPTA). In 1958 the United Nations Special Fund established an office in Cairo to expand the work of EPTA. This office became the United Nations Development Programme Country Office in 1966. We walk the We work We work We are talk with the through concerned with We apply our principles to government partnerships results and our projects and our office. UNDP Egypt is the first UNDP We partner with national We work with local and transparency office in the Arab region institutions and work with international partners from civil to obtain the Gold Seal in national and local authorities in society, academia, development UNDP is committed to gender equality, successfully our programmes and projects. agencies and think tanks, as well transparency