The Governor of Beni Suef, Dr. Mohamed Hany Ghoneim, held a meeting with representatives from several United Nations agencies and the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation to discuss the implementation of a joint development programme supported by the UN Joint SDG Fund. The meeting, attended by the Deputy Governor, focused on the programme’s upcoming work plan and its rollout within Beni Suef governorate.
The delegation included senior officials from MoPEDIC alongside representatives from the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF and UN-Habitat. Discussions centered on coordination for implementing the joint programme aimed at strengthening evidence-based and inclusive planning, budgeting and monitoring to advance the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals at the governorate level.
A key area of focus was support for preparing Voluntary Local Reviews at both the governorate and city levels. The planned city-level review will be the first of its kind in Egypt, representing a major step in assessing local progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. These reviews are expected to enhance the use of data and evidence in local planning and decision-making, while also strengthening institutional capacities and encouraging participatory approaches that involve communities and stakeholders in monitoring public resources.
Participants underscored that localizing the Sustainable Development Goals is critical to accelerating Egypt’s development and addressing regional and social disparities. This approach has been recognized as a priority mechanism for inclusive growth and equitable development, ensuring that no communities are left behind.
The programme aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the National Narrative for Comprehensive Development, which emphasize spatial planning and social equity as foundations for comprehensive and sustainable development. It also reflects national legislation that calls for development policies sensitive to regional disparities and focused on reducing sectoral and geographic gaps.
In addition, the initiative is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2023–2027, which identifies SDG localization as a national priority. Implementation will be carried out in close coordination with MoPEDIC, under the strategic leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office, to ensure coherence across participating UN agencies.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment from the Governorate of Beni Suef, MoPEDIC and the participating UN agencies to work collaboratively on implementing the joint programme. All parties agreed on coordination mechanisms and next steps to advance sustainable, inclusive and data-driven development that responds to local needs.
