Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Participates in the Board Meeting of the UN Initiative Generation Unlimited in the Presence of the World Bank President

"Al-Mashat": "Shabab Balad" Academy will Soon be launched to Develop and Enhance Youth Skills within the Egyptian Version of the UN's Initiative Generation Unlimited

 

Board of Directors Discusses Partnership with the World Bank to Expand Innovative Financing Mechanisms and Development Policy Financing to Support Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment

 

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, participated in the board meeting of the UN initiative Generation Unlimited, in the presence of Mr Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group. The UN initiative, launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2018, is a pioneering global partnership between the public and private sectors that aimed to provide skills and connect 1.8 billion young people worldwide to job opportunities and entrepreneurship for social impact. Based at UNICEF, the partnership brings together organizations and global leaders, including heads of state, executives, heads of UN agencies, and civil society champions, with youth to co-create and implement innovative solutions on a global scale.

 

The board meeting was attended by Christian Klein, CEO of SAP and Chairman of the initiative, Dr Fahad Al-Sulaiti, Director General of Qatar Fund for Development, Dr Ahmed Al-Ansari, Executive Director of Making Cents International, Salima Monorma Bah, Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation of Sierra Leone, Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, and Kitty van der Heijden, Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships, UNICEF.

 

The board of the Generation Unlimited initiative discussed the future strategy for the period 2026-2029, as well as the partnership with the World Bank Group to expand innovative financing for youth empowerment and enhance their participation in communities, They also explored using development policy financing programs and innovative financing tools to support entrepreneurship, building on lessons learned in 2024 to guide the future direction of the initiative, and highlighting opportunities for the initiative to expand its impact in the creative industries and agriculture sectors in Africa.

 

During the meeting, Egypt's experience and the available opportunities to launch skill councils in Egypt were presented, in conjunction with the upcoming launch of the "Shabab Balad" Academy, the Egyptian version of the UN initiative Generation Unlimited, in light of the partnership between the government and the UN to implement the initiative.

 

For her part, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat affirmed that Egypt launched the national version of the UN initiative Generation Unlimited under the name "Shabab Balad" in 2022 during the World Youth Forum, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to leverage the initiative, develop skills and connect all youth with opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and social impact by 2030.

 

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat invited the board members of the UN initiative to participate in the inauguration of the "Shabab Balad" Academy, which will be launched soon with the aim of developing youth skills and providing them with knowledge and entrepreneurship skills, as this academy is considered one of the effective mechanisms to qualify Egyptian youth for work by enhancing their skills and connecting them with job opportunities.

 

The Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation pointed out the significant interest of the state in supporting entrepreneurship and innovation through the launch of the Ministerial Entrepreneurship Group, which includes various stakeholders in the field, alongside the companies themselves, to take regulatory and legislative measures that enhance knowledge-based economic growth, explaining that the Ministerial Entrepreneurship Group works to integrate the various national initiatives related to entrepreneurship and youth empowerment in order to create the desired impact.

 

H.E. also discussed the partnership with the World Bank Group to support economic development efforts and increase growth and employment rates in Egypt, in addition to increasing efforts to empower the private sector, explaining that the government attaches great importance to increasing employment rates by allowing the private sector to lead development efforts by increasing local and foreign investments.

 

It is worth noting that the Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation launched the "Shabab Balad" initiative during the World Youth Forum in 2022, as "Al-Mashat" and the UN Resident Coordinator chair the initiative's advisory board in Egypt.

 

The initiative launched by the UN in more than 54 countries worldwide aims to support and empower youth in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and social participation. It aspires to be the sustainable country platform for multilateral partners working together to ensure that all youth in Egypt between the ages of 10 and 24 are either enrolled in education, have sufficient skills for employment, or have entrepreneurship opportunities, and are positively engaged in the society by 2030.