The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

In line with the 2030 Agenda, the Egyptian Government has launched in 2016 a working plan called Egypt’s Vision 2030, also known as Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS). In 2019, Egypt has decided to revisit its SDS, to assure having an interdependence of the three sustainable development dimensions environment, society and economy.

Inspired by the ancient Egyptian Civilization, linking the present to future, the SDS: Egypt Vision 2030 represents a foothold on the way towards inclusive development. Thus cultivating a prosperity path through, economic and social justice, and reviving the role of Egypt in regional leadership. SDS represents a roadmap for maximizing competitive advantage to achieve the dreams and aspirations of Egyptians in a dignified and decent life.

It also represents an embodiment of the new constitution’s spirit, setting welfare and prosperity as the main economic objectives, to be achieved via sustainable development, social justice and a balanced, geographical and sectoral growth. Therefore, SDS has been developed according to a participatory strategic planning approach; as various civil society representatives, national and international development partners and government agencies have collaborated to set comprehensive objectives for all pillars and sectors of the country.

The sustainable development strategy (SDS): Egypt vision 2030

SDS has followed the sustainable development principle as a general framework for improving the quality of lives and welfare, taking into consideration the rights of new generations in a prosperous life.

Egypt Vision 2030 focuses on improving the quality of life of the Egyptian citizens and improving their standard of living in various aspects of life by ensuring the consolidation of the principles of justice, social inclusion and the participation of all citizens in political and social life, in conjunction with high, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, enhancing investment in human beings, and building their creativity by promoting increased knowledge, innovation and scientific research in all areas. Egypt Vision 2030 gives significance for addressing the impacts of climate change through an integrated and sustainable ecosystem that enhances resilience and ability to face natural hazards. The vision also focuses on the governance of state institutions and society through administrative reform, consolidating transparency, support for monitoring and evaluation systems and empowerment of local administrations. All these objectives come within the framework of ensuring Egyptian peace and security and strengthening Egyptian leadership regionally and internationally.

Objective 1: Improving the quality of life and standard of living of the Egyptian citizens

Improving the quality of life and standard of living of Egyptian citizens by reducing poverty in all forms, eliminating hunger, providing an integrated system of social protection, providing education and ensuring its quality and the quality of health services, providing basic services, improving infrastructure, improving the civilized outlook of Egypt, controlling population growth, enriching cultural life and developing digital infrastructure.

Objective 2: Justice, social inclusion and engagement

The national agenda seeks justice by achieving equal rights and opportunities, providing resources to all geographical areas, both rural and urban, promoting financial inclusion, empowering women, youth and vulnerable groups, supporting the engagement of all groups in development and promoting loyalty and belonging to the Egyptian identity.

Objective 3: Competitive and diversified economy

Egypt aims to achieve knowledge-based economic growth, digital transformation, increasing the resilience and competitiveness of the economy, increasing employment rates and decent employment opportunities, improving the business environment and promoting a culture of entrepreneurship, as well as achieving financial inclusion and inclusion of the environmental and social dimension in economic development.

Objective 4: Knowledge, innovation and scientific research

Egypt considers knowledge, innovation and scientific research as key pillars of development by investing in human beings, building their creativity, stimulating and spreading the culture of innovation, supporting and linking scientific research to education and development.

Objective 5: Integrated and sustainable ecosystem

Egypt seeks to preserve both development and the environment through the rational use of resources to preserve the rights of future generations to a safer and more efficient future. This can be achieved by addressing the impact of climate change, enhancing the resilience of ecosystems, countering natural hazards and disasters, increasing the use of renewable energy and adopting sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Objective 6: Governance of state and community institutions

Governance of state and community institutions results in efficient and effective official state agencies, private sector and civil society institution. Therefore, Egypt vision for the future puts governance and compliance with laws, rules and procedures under the rule of law and an institutional framework that is essential for transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption.

Objective 7: Egyptian peace and security

The state places the highest priority on comprehensive security at the national and regional levels as an imperative for achieving and preserving sustainable development, including ensuring food and water security, sustainable energy security, political, economic, social and environmental stability, cybersecurity, securing the Egyptian borders and combating terrorism and organized crime.

Objective 8: Strengthening Egyptian leadership

The national agenda ensures to link its development objectives with international goals on the one hand, and to the regional agenda on the other hand, especially the Agenda of Africa 2063. After successfully restoring stability, the goal of strengthening Egypt's position and leadership at the regional and international levels has become a necessity to advance comprehensive development. This can be achieved through many mechanisms, including supporting and strengthening regional and international partnerships.

Egypt's rank on Sustainable Development Index 2020

Egypt rose nine ranks on the Sustainable Development Index to be 83rd among 166 states in 2020 up from 92nd among 162 states in 2019 recording an overall score of 68.8.

Egypt has made progress in nine Sustainable Development Goals in 2020 including:

1. Poverty eradication: Although there are some challenges.
2. Zero hunger: Indicators of stunting and wasting among children under five years of age, and the level of human nutrition improved, and the obesity prevalence index decreased.
3. Good health: The index of the maternal mortality rate (per 100,000 live births), the neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), and the mortality rate among children under five years of age (per 1,000 live births) decreased.
4. Quality education: Indicators of net enrolment rate and completion of the preparatory stage improved despite the presence of major challenges in this field
5. Clean water: Indicators of the proportion of the population with access to drinking water and basic sanitation improved.
6. Clean Energy at Moderate Prices: Indicators of the proportion of the population with access to electricity and clean cooking fuel improved.
7. Decent work and economic growth: Indicators of unemployment, work accidents, and financial inclusion services improved.
8. Sustainable Cities and Communities: Percentage of urban residents with access to improved water sources, and index of public transportation satisfaction improved.
9. Marine life: Index of marine protected areas essential to conserve the biodiversity, and of overfishing improved.