The Minister of Local Development launches an initiative "Towards decentralization and development of local administration"
Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development, launched today, Thursday, the Ministry of Local Development initiative “Towards Decentralization and Developing Local Administration.” Which is considered a cornerstone of the Egyptian government’s work program to promote sustainable development in the Egyptian governorates, during the activities of the fourth day of the work of the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum “WUF 12” It is the first global conference on sustainable urbanization and will be hosted by the city of Cairo from November 4 to 8, 2024 at the Manara Conference Center.
This came during the press conference for launching the initiative in the presence of Sameh Wahba, Regional Director for Sustainable Development for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, Dr. Khaled Abdel Halim, Governor of Qena, and Dr. Hisham Al-Helbawy, Assistant Minister of Local Development for National Projects and Director of the Upper Egypt Development Program, presented the conference. Manal Awad, that the launch of the decentralization and strengthening of local administration initiative on the fourth day of the World Urban Forum indicates the Egyptian government’s will to transform all the discussions and ambitious agendas that were presented during the forum’s work into a practical reality that we live in, and reflects our belief that local action is the way to provide sustainable cities and local communities for our citizens, To meet the needs of all citizens and work to raise the level of services provided to them.
Dr. Manal Awad explained that the Ministry of Local Development believes that decentralization is a basis for enhancing community participation and activating the principle of transparency. It is not only a regulatory mechanism, but a tool for achieving spatial justice, as it enables the local community to make a tangible impact on its daily life, and ensures a faster response and greater effectiveness from the local administration in meeting its needs.
The Minister of Local Development said: As you know, the Egyptian state’s efforts are based on clear legislative foundations, as the 2014 Constitution laid the foundation for the Egyptian government’s commitment to supporting decentralization by enabling local administration units to carry out their roles, and from this standpoint the initiative aims for gradual transformation. Decentralization by adopting the foundations of transparency, accountability and governance, as well as exchanging responsibilities between the central and local levels.
The Minister of Local Development indicated that we have come a long way towards implementing decentralization in a guided manner in Sohag and Qena governorates through the “Local Development Program in Upper Egypt,” as this program helped enable the local administration to improve its performance and enhance financial resources and local planning, all of which are enabling mechanisms for the governorates and mechanisms towards decentralization, pointing out that the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt received praise. From international institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations.
Dr. Manal Awad added that the decentralization policies and mechanisms that the Egyptian government aims to implement through the initiative to support balanced development Empowering local communities is closely aligned with the actions highlighted during the Forum’s work; Pointing out that decentralization policies aim to enable local communities to provide adequate housing by strengthening the role of local administration in planning and providing affordable housing that suits the needs of residents and housing priorities, stressing that empowering local administration contributes to enhancing the response to the climate crisis in cities through implementing policies. More flexible and adopt local environmental solutions that respond to climate change and support communities’ resilience.
Dr. Manal Awad stressed that the initiative will contribute to enhancing local financing and localizing financial resources by providing tools Finance that allows it to achieve financial and economic independence, which enhances its ability to invest in local projects and support partnerships between the public and private sectors, as we seek through decentralization to strengthen multi-level participatory governance to improve response to local needs and enhance citizen participation.
The Minister of Local Development pointed out that decentralization policies also aim at digital transformation, through which local governments can improve the efficiency of service provision and increase citizens’ interaction with local administrations, explaining that through decentralization we seek to improve the local administration’s response to urban crises by Through effective local strategies, stressing that decentralization policies support local efforts to create inclusive cities for all by providing equal opportunities for all groups of society, including women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the marginalized.
Dr. Manal Awad concluded her speech by emphasizing that we seek to achieve urban planning based on comprehensiveness and flexibility, as decentralization allows local administration units to develop integrated planning policies that take into account the needs of future growth and climate changes, which contributes to achieving balanced and sustainable urban development. Pointing out that she hopes that this initiative will be a step towards strengthening the role of local administration administratively, financially and economically, and we must all strive, whether from the government, the private sector, or civil society, to support this desired transformation, which enables us to achieve balanced urban and community development to improve the quality of The lives of our citizens.
