Since its establishment more than 5 years ago, the Egyptian Forum for Sustainable Development has been keen to contribute to strengthening and improving the mechanism of action towards achieving sustainable development goals. It was one of the first civil institutions formed for the purpose of establishing a civil structure keen to spread the concepts of sustainable development and the mechanisms for achieving it, and it makes many efforts. Efforts towards this, through forming partnerships, implementing dialogue sessions, and constructive communication with all segments of society and its various governmental, civil and private institutions.

In 2015, the Forum launched the “National Sustainable Development Week” initiative, with the aim of presenting and discussing mechanisms and tools for achieving sustainability with partner parties and stakeholders, in order to reach consensus visions that enhance the values ​​of sustainability, to be the first civil society initiative of its kind to be implemented periodically in the country. Egypt and the Arab world, an initiative that has received, since the first year, the patronage of the Prime Minister and the attention of a large number of partners, marking the birth of a real political will to achieve the goals of sustainable development.

Interest has increased in the “National Week for Sustainable Development” initiative, which the Egyptian Forum used to implement in July of each year, to coincide with the celebration of World Environment Day. However, the sixth session of this initiative, for the year 2020, was implemented during the period from 12 to 19 last October. Coinciding with the celebration of “Arab Environment Day,” and due to precautionary measures to prevent the “Corona pandemic,” most of the activities of the Sixth National Week for Sustainable Development took place via electronic communication platforms.

Dr. Emad El-Din Adly, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Forum for Sustainable Development, said that the slogan of the sixth session of “National Sustainable Development Week” for this year was entitled “Sustainability between Challenges and Solutions,” with a focus on the axis of “Education for Sustainable Development.” In cooperation with the Ministries of Education and Environment, within the framework of the Board of Trustees of the Forum’s keenness to partner with government institutions, to achieve the general goals of the National Week for Sustainable Development initiative.

The week’s activities included organizing a training workshop for directors of educational departments within Cairo Governorate, in addition to the principals of a number of schools, supervisors of environmental, population, and health education in the targeted schools, as well as officials of the General Administration of Environmental Education in the Directorate of Education. During the training workshop, coordination was made with officials of educational departments and directors. Schools propose many activities that help enhance the education for sustainable development skills of those responsible for the educational process.

“Adly” confirmed that it is planned to implement the proposed activities throughout the new academic year 2020/2021, and coordination is also underway to implement some awareness activities within schools and the local communities surrounding them, indicating that within the framework of the forum’s keenness to promote the goal and vision of the National Week initiative, it has The Forum invited a large number of civil society associations at the governorate level, to motivate them to participate in the activities, by implementing one of the environmental activities within their communities. He added that many civil societies from various governorates showed their response to the Forum’s invitation, and announced the implementation of various environmental activities, within the framework of the activities. the week.

It is noteworthy that the Egyptian Forum for Sustainable Development was launched as a civil idea in July 2012, and the idea came as a response to the recommendations of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, which was held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20) under the slogan “The Future We Want,” which stressed the inevitability of All governments of countries seek to achieve sustainable development, and he also stressed that there is an urgent need to create unified national civil entities that will be the basis for permanent dialogue between the main development parties, from the government, the private sector, civil society and scientific research, in order to formulate agreed-upon policies to achieve sustainable development in every country. sectors, and works to confront the challenges in providing resources, financing and technology, which are the basis of all development.

The Forum was established as a civil entity that has the ability to cooperate with all state institutions, governmental and civil, to contribute to spreading the concept of sustainable development, and to consolidate its roots in all sectors of the state, its strategic policy, development programs, and national projects. To achieve this, the Forum was keen that its institutional base consist of a distinguished group. One of Egypt’s dedicated scholars in various development fields, as well as its members affiliated with the forum teams, and work was done to declare it as a civil institution in the Ministry of Social Solidarity under No. 708 of 2015 under the name “Egyptian Forum for Sustainable Development.”

Since its inception, the Forum has sought, through the Board of Trustees and specialized work teams, to implement many programs and projects, and launch initiatives targeting all development sectors, and has been keen to form strategic partnerships with a large number of government agencies concerned with sustainable development management, which have greatly contributed to proposing and discussing There were many priority development files, and the forum experts presented many of their important recommendations to decision-makers.

The Forum was also keen to pay attention to the capacity-building component and increase awareness of the comprehensive concept of sustainability, and work to disseminate and promote environmental sustainability applications at various levels and sectors. This happened through the formation of partnerships with a large number of university, educational and research institutions, whether governmental or private, and it was achieved. Formulating and implementing many field activities, such as student camps, workshops, and educational meetings. These activities were able to provide different guiding models as a true translation that reflects the concept of sustainable development.