During the Graduation Ceremony of the Second Cohort of the "Be an Ambassador" Initiative for Sustainable Development
Minister of Planning and Economic Development: "Be an Ambassador" is one of the tools for investing in youth potential.
Minister of Environment: The "Be an Ambassador" initiative is a model for effective investment in human resources.
Executive Director of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development: We have trained 3,600 youth so far through the "Be an Ambassador" initiative across 27 governorates and 24 public and private universities.
Cairo, February 6, 2024
Today, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, in cooperation with the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development—the ministry's training arm—held the graduation ceremony for the second cohort of the "Be an Ambassador" initiative for sustainable development. The event was held under the patronage and presence of Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, and with the participation of Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment; Dr. Sherifa Sherif, Executive Director of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development; Dr. Rasha Ragheb, Executive Director of the National Training Academy; Dr. Iman Karim, General Supervisor of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities; Dr. Hussein Abaza, International Consultant for Sustainable Development and Green Economy; Hisham Okasha, Chairman of the National Bank of Egypt; as well as several leaders from the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.
In her speech, Dr. Hala El-Said emphasized that Egypt’s Vision 2030 represents the national framework for achieving global sustainable development goals. She noted that the primary objective behind launching this vision was to make the national development strategy accessible and widely known to all segments of society. This led to the idea of empowering youth to become ambassadors for the vision. She highlighted that 60% of Egypt’s population consists of youth, which reinforces the importance of involving them in raising awareness about sustainable development goals and Egypt’s Vision 2030.
Dr. El-Said pointed out that the graduation ceremony of the second cohort of the "Be an Ambassador" initiative embodies the collaboration between the "golden triangle" of development. She explained that two social groups intersect with all sustainable development goals: youth and women. She further stressed that youth represent Egypt’s human capital and are true ambassadors of sustainable development.
She emphasized that the key feature of the "Be an Ambassador" initiative is its continuity and evolution. Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has been expanding, refining its content, and increasing the number of both general and specialized cohorts. This includes training programs tailored for journalists, government planning officials, and a specialized batch for individuals with disabilities, specifically the deaf and hard of hearing.
Dr. El-Said also discussed the initiative's impact on society, noting that it has received multiple international and local awards. She highlighted its expansion through the launch of the "Youth for Development" initiative for university students and its integration with the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects, which aims to localize sustainable development goals at the regional and governorate levels.
She emphasized the importance of field visits recommended by the initiative’s graduates, pointing to the certification of certain villages as “Green Villages” under the “Tarsheed” label. These include Fares in Aswan and Nahtai in Gharbia, with plans to further expand the initiative. She praised the Ministry of Environment’s efforts in preserving natural reserves as key elements in achieving sustainable development.
In conclusion, she encouraged graduates to prioritize continuous learning and professional development, highlighting that the Egyptian government offers numerous training programs covering various disciplines through different institutions.
For her part, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, described the "Be an Ambassador" initiative as an exemplary model for investing in human resources. She affirmed the ministry’s commitment to providing a supportive environment through incentives and policies that engage the private sector. She expressed her pride in witnessing the graduation of another cohort of sustainable development ambassadors, emphasizing how the program fosters knowledge and awareness among youth across Egypt, covering key environmental events such as COP27 and COP28.
Dr. Fouad highlighted the ministry’s efforts since 2018 to integrate environmental dimensions into various government sectors despite economic challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Key steps include greening the national budget, embedding sustainability within state projects, and introducing environmental sustainability standards. She noted the crucial role of the banking sector in linking sustainability and energy efficiency with climate change issues.
She also referenced the launch of Egypt’s first Environmental and Climate Investment Platform in September, aimed at boosting sustainable investments in natural resources. She encouraged youth to explore this platform on the Ministry of Environment’s website and participate in smart green projects.
Dr. Sherifa Sherif, Executive Director of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, described the ceremony as the culmination of a long journey. She explained that the initiative was conceived in 2018 to empower youth and familiarize them with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since its first implementation in 2020, the initiative has expanded significantly, training 3,600 participants across Egypt’s 27 governorates and 24 universities, in collaboration with organizations such as "Decent Life" (Haya Karima) and the Egyptian Red Crescent.
Dr. Heba Zaki, Director of the Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, represented by Dr. Maha Khalil, highlighted how the "Be an Ambassador" initiative goes beyond theoretical training by encouraging youth to develop sustainable entrepreneurship projects that align with SDGs. She pointed to the initiative’s partnership with the Sustainable Innovation Lab (SILAB) to help youth translate their ideas into real projects, particularly in fields like green economy, digital economy, biotechnology, and creative industries.
Amira Hossam, Assistant Minister of Planning for Sustainable Development, presented a study measuring the initiative’s impact on graduates. She highlighted their successes, including participation in competitions, winning awards, and contributing to the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects. She also referenced Ali Abdo, an initiative graduate who set a Guinness World Record for the longest electric motorcycle journey, titled The Journey to COP27.
Engy Ali, Project Manager of the "Be an Ambassador" initiative, explained that the number of young participants in the first cohort reached 1,000 trainees, while the second cohort included 1,200 trainees from all governorates. Among them, 377 were male and 681 were female, with the integration of 11 trainees with disabilities into the training process. She emphasized that the initiative ensured the participation of various groups, including university students, graduates, and faculty members from both public and private universities, as well as civil society organizations such as the "Decent Life" Foundation, Misr El-Kheir, the Egyptian Red Crescent, and the Egyptian Scouts.
She also noted that after completing all training phases, the initiative team at the institute followed up with the graduates and received around 600 project ideas, which were classified and nominated for enrollment in the Sustainable Innovation Lab (SILAB). Additionally, 72 trainees were selected to join the Youth Policy Makers Program under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), representing 37 projects. Furthermore, 63 trainees received training in digital marketing in collaboration with GoDaddy, 200 graduates were nominated to participate in the institute’s "Green Minds" initiative, and 18 trainees were selected for the "We Build for Our Country" competition organized by the Decision Support and Information Center.
