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Daily News Egypt
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt's Environment Minister participates in UN Ocean Conference in France
Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, has arrived in Nice to attend the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), where she will represent President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at the high-level opening session. Taking place from June 9 to 13, the conference gathers government leaders, international financial institutions, scientists, NGOs, civil society, and private sector stakeholders to address the world's most pressing ocean-related challenges. Fouad stated that this year's conference will center on three core objectives: protecting marine biodiversity, preserving global fish stocks, and advancing the '30×30' target under the Global Biodiversity Framework—which aims to conserve 30% of the world's oceans and coastal areas by 2030. The event will also assess global progress on Sustainable Development Goal 14, which promotes the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Plastic pollution is expected to dominate discussions, especially in the context of negotiations toward a binding global treaty. Fouad highlighted the importance of aligning national positions ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), scheduled for August 2025 in Geneva. As part of her agenda, Fouad will chair the high-level opening session of an event marking two major regional milestones: the 50th anniversary of the Mediterranean Action Plan and the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Convention. The gathering will bring together environment and biodiversity ministers, as well as UN officials, to announce national pledges and coordinated strategies to confront the region's triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution. She is also slated to participate in multiple side events, including a ministerial consultation on the proposed global plastic pollution treaty. Key discussion areas include sustainable production and consumption, chemical safety, product design, and financing mechanisms. Another key session on her schedule is titled 'Scaling Up Solutions for a Plastic-Free Mediterranean,' which will explore innovative approaches to tracking plastic waste and building stronger regional and international partnerships.
Egypt Today
24-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egypt, France discuss cooperation on UN ocean conference, plastic pollution in Mediterranean
Fouad conveyed the Egyptian government's appreciation for France's leadership in prioritizing ocean conservation and biodiversity within the multilateral environmental agenda. She underscored the need to align discussions on the blue economy, marine biodiversity, protected areas, and the global plastics treaty into a cohesive and action-oriented framework during the conference. She highlighted Egypt's strong interest in the conference, particularly as the country prepares to host the Barcelona Convention at the end of the year. Egypt aims to spotlight critical themes such as 'Blue Economy and Mediterranean Sustainability', leveraging the platform to foster regional and international collaboration, according to her. Minister Fouad reiterated Egypt's support for a fair, balanced and transparent global agreement to address plastic pollution, one that reflects common but differentiated responsibilities and considers the unique challenges faced by developing nations. She emphasized the necessity for robust financial mechanisms and access to technology to enable countries to meet ambitious environmental targets. She noted that Egypt has taken concrete steps on the national level, including a recent cabinet decision to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and to introduce fees on single-use plastic bags. Additionally, Egypt has enforced a comprehensive waste management law since 2020, which adopts the principles of a circular economy. Further initiatives include expanding plastic recycling efforts, eliminating unnecessary plastic consumption, and empowering local communities through projects like the Nile Cleanup Initiative. This program involves fishermen and women in collecting plastic waste from the Nile River, recycling it into useful products, and creating green jobs that support community development and women's economic empowerment. Fouad also called for a thorough assessment of the socioeconomic impacts of transitioning away from plastic, emphasizing the need for affordable technologies and strong legal frameworks to guide sustainable change. For her part, the French minister welcomed Egypt's active participation in the upcoming conference and praised its leadership in promoting sustainability. She stressed the urgency of advancing solutions to plastic pollution through the adoption of alternative materials, enhanced recycling infrastructure, and a shift toward durable, multi-use plastics. These measures, she said, are essential to preserving marine ecosystems and biodiversity, and to ensuring a healthy and resilient ocean future.
