Source: APO – Report:
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H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, represented the Arab Republic of Egypt at the G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Meeting held in South Africa.
She also participated in drafting and launching the Ministerial Declaration at the conclusion of the meetings.
The Ministerial Declaration, issued at the meetings, affirmed that development financing is at the core of shared priorities. It also highlighted the urgent need to enhance domestic resource mobilization, address illicit financial flows, and strengthen the role of multilateral and innovative financing mechanisms.
The G20 reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, its pledge to leave no one behind, and its enhanced shared responsibility in confronting global challenges and interconnected crises, from debt to global inequalities, climate change, and the SDG financing gap.
During her participation, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt’s experience in launching the “Country Approaches for Financing Sustainable Development and Climate Action” initiative within the Seville Platform for Action, with the aim of advancing integrated financing frameworks globally.
Egypt co-leads this initiative (alongside South Africa, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, UNICEF, regional development banks, and others).
Its objectives include 100 countries implementing integrated financing programs or country financing platforms funded by public, private, and philanthropic sources by 2030.
Egypt has already begun joint work with Mexico to understand the mechanism for designing and implementing national platforms.
Regarding stimulating large-scale investments, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of allowing the private sector to play an effective role in development financing, improving governance in international financial institutions, and strengthening the United Nations’ role in setting global economic rules.
She also stressed the significance of debt sustainability and updating the basis for calculating Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) to ensure a fairer assessment for developing countries, particularly in Africa, and to support these countries with incentive tools and mechanisms to overcome ongoing debt challenges.
In line with the G20 ministers’ declaration, which highlights the urgent need to bridge the $4.5 trillion annual SDG financing gap, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat affirmed the pressing need to expand blended finance and public-private partnerships, and to implement debt-for-development swap programs.
She pointed to Egypt’s experience, particularly with Italy, Germany, and China, in providing fiscal space for investment in high-impact projects in food security, women’s empowerment, environmental protection, and climate change, making it a successful and replicable model.
Furthermore, between 2020 and May 2025, Egypt successfully mobilized approximately $15.6 billion for private sector financing from international partners, with $4 billion allocated to the private sector within the Country Platform – the “NWFE” program.
Despite the absence of an internationally agreed definition for Global Public Goods, the G20 Ministerial Declaration stressed the urgent need to enable the provision of these goods, along with the importance of taking action to support low-income and developing countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda in accordance with their national priorities and contributing to global well-being. This is what the Development Working Group calls for: enhancing global consensus, research, and cooperation on the protection and provision of Global Public Goods.
The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation reiterated in her speech that development financing and investments in essential sectors represent the cornerstone of sustainable economic and social growth and have a direct impact on human well-being and long-term productivity.
She confirmed the necessity of achieving a common vision in line with the G20 Ministerial Declaration, through mobilizing long-term and affordable financing and rethinking multilateral cooperation. With over $460 trillion in global assets, the potential to bridge SDG financing gaps is within reach – if countries redirect capital towards inclusive and sustainable priorities.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat concluded her speech by stating that the outcomes of this Ministerial Meeting must represent the beginning of a practical phase – to translate commitments into tangible progress, moving from policies to practices with strong political will, while ensuring that no country is left behind in our pursuit of a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
It is worth noting that the G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation and plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. Its membership includes 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union. South Africa assumed the G20 presidency from December 1, 2024, to November 2025, and is committed to leading the G20 by focusing on people, development, and solutions in a complex global geopolitical landscape.
This comes against the backdrop of Egypt’s pioneering experience – as a middle-income country – in balancing its national priorities.
– on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.
