Translation assignment 1
His Holiness the
Pope receives the
Minister of
Education
• His Holiness Pope Tawadros II received Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of
Education and Technical Education, at the papal headquarters in Cairo, today,
Monday.
• During the meeting, the Minister presented the new direction of the Ministry of
Education system, in terms of modern ideas and methods used in the
educational process.
• For his part, His Holiness the Pope praised this vision and the efforts made by
the Ministry in this context, which contribute to building the Egyptian person in
the way we hope for in our country.
• The Minister of Education and Technical Education pointed to the trend towards
developing a curriculum that includes common religious values ​and principles,
within the religious education curricula for the various educational stages, with
the aim of consolidating these values ​in society.
• The meeting was attended by Father Kyrollos Anba Bishoy, Director of the Office
of His Holiness the Pope, Mrs. Barbara Soliman, Director of the Papal Office for
Projects and Relations, and Deacon Joseph Reda, Deacon of His Holiness the
Pope.
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Trading
agreement
s
• The COMESA Agreement
• was initiated as a preferential trade zone with the eventual aim of establishing a free trade
area among member countries. The agreement later developed into a customs union and then
a common market COMESA launched its customs union in June 2009; aiming to reduce and
unify external tariffs linearly over a period of ten years starting from 2009 and ending in 2018.
It is planned that a monetary union will be established by 2025.​
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• The populations of member States of COMESA are estimated at 586 million, which normally
account for a wide and competitive market for Egyptian products; especially that Egypt has
substantially achieved industrial progress that went far beyond that of its COMESA
counterparts.
• - Benefit from the reciprocal agreement, given that 11 countries have joined the free trade
area under the COMESA treaty. These countries grant imports of other COMESA members
total duty exemption. In addition to this, Egypt follows the reciprocity principle with the rest of
the member States of COMESA
• - Member States of the COMESA can import highly-distinctive products originating in Egypt
primarily rice, foodstuffs, household utensils, dried onion, ceramics, sanitary ware, medicines,
car tires, aluminum, iron and steel, yarn, textiles, and shoes.
• - Based on the production structure of member States, it has been found out that they depend
on exporting major raw materials such as copper, coffee, tea, raw leather, cattle meat,
sesame, corn, tobacco. These are important commodities, which if allowed duty-free, the wellbeing of the Egyptian consumer will be adversely affected.
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• - Benefiting from financial assistance offered from the African Development Bank and other
international funding institutions in the field of promoting exports to African countries.
• - Article 158 of the COMESA treaty stipulates the encouragement of cooperation in
investment. Article 164 stipulates the liberation of trade in services to provide the opportunity
for Egypt to export technical expertise given its leading position in this field especially in terms
of contractors business.
• - The treaty provides for the establishment of an advanced shared information system within
member States.
• More advantages can be gained from the treaty in the field of industrial and agricultural
cooperation as well as transport and communication.​
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• Egypt and the 15 European Union Member States signed a partnership agreement on
June 25, 2001, in Brussels to gradually establish a free trade area over a transitional
period not to exceed 12 years from the entry into force of the Agreement, While
Egyptian imports of industrial goods (of European origin) are to be liberated for the
period of 16 years.
• The Agreement entered into force on the first day of the second month following the
date of notification of parties after the completion of their own ratification procedures.
This Agreement replaces the 1977 Agreement between Egypt and Europe.
• The Agreement shall be valid for an unlimited period. Either Party may terminate this
Agreement by notifying the other Party. The Agreement shall cease to apply six months
after the date of notification.
• On May 1, 2004, ten new member states (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) joined the EU, and
automatically acceded to the Egypt - EU Association Agreement. As a result, Egypt and
the EU signed an amendment to the Agreement in December 2004 expanding quotas of
Egyptian agricultural exports to EU markets as set forth in Article 21 of the Association
Agreement.
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• First:Trade Provisions
• 1. Industrial Products;
• - An increase in the volume of imports into the EU markets of industrial products originating in
Egypt through the elimination of customs duties or any other duties having equivalent effect,
as well as any and all quantitative restrictions as of January 1, 2004.
• - Early elimination of quantitative restrictions (quotas) on Egyptian textile exports without the
need to wait for elimination as per the WTO Textile and Clothing Agreement (1/1/2005) and
prior to the elimination of quotas on exports from other countries, especially the Asian
countries.
• 2. Agricultural and Processed Agricultural Products:
• - Increasing the number of Egyptian agricultural products exported to the EU from the 25
products listed in 1977 Agreement to more than 100 products in the current Agreement.
• - Adding export quotas on new agricultural products that were not previously subject to
preferential trade privileges, for example, molasses, in growth flowers, strawberries, mango,
guava, dates, onions, dried garlic, peas, eggplant, plant juices and oils, sweet potatoes and
peanuts.
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• First:Trade Provisions
• 1. Industrial Products;
• - An increase in the volume of imports into the EU markets of industrial products originating in
Egypt through the elimination of customs duties or any other duties having equivalent effect,
as well as any and all quantitative restrictions as of January 1, 2004.
• - Early elimination of quantitative restrictions (quotas) on Egyptian textile exports without the
need to wait for elimination as per the WTO Textile and Clothing Agreement (1/1/2005) and
prior to the elimination of quotas on exports from other countries, especially the Asian
countries.
• 2. Agricultural and Processed Agricultural Products:
• - Increasing the number of Egyptian agricultural products exported to the EU from the 25
products listed in 1977 Agreement to more than 100 products in the current Agreement.
• - Adding export quotas on new agricultural products that were not previously subject to
preferential trade privileges, for example, molasses, in growth flowers, strawberries, mango,
guava, dates, onions, dried garlic, peas, eggplant, plant juices and oils, sweet potatoes and
peanuts.
• -
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• - Adding export quotas on new agricultural products that were not previously subject to
preferential trade privileges, for example, molasses, in growth flowers, strawberries, mango,
guava, dates, onions, dried garlic, peas, eggplant, plant juices and oils, sweet potatoes and
peanuts.
• - Reducing entry prices on certain Egyptian products; for example, oranges and cut flowers.
• -Extending export seasons for certain agricultural products.
• - Increasing the volume of export quotas for several major agricultural products, such as
potatoes by 230%, oranges by 769% and green beans by 166%.
• - Reducing in tariffs imposed by the EU on excessive volume of exempted quotas; for
example, the tariff on potatoes was reduced to 3%.
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• - Increasing export quotas of most agricultural exports by 3% annually and negotiating to
increase quota increases every three years.
• - Allowing greater liberalization of trade in processed agricultural products through the
elimination of industrial component tariffs on some products, a 30% tariff reduction on the
agricultural component in other products, in addition to fully exempted quotas on 1000 tons of
processed Egyptian jam.
• Second:For Business and Investment​
• The Agreement will attract EU direct investment in Egypt, that is, the parties shall ensure the
facilitation of capital movement between the EU and Egypt in terms of boosting direct
investment.
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• The European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
• The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states – including Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – signed and entered into force a free trade
agreement with Egypt in 2007 in order to support and increase bilateral trade between Egypt
and EFTA states and to promote the economic integration into the Euro Med Zone through the
liberalization of trade in industrial and processed agricultural products. Accordingly, Egyptian
exports of industrial products are liberalized and Egyptian customs tariffs on industrial imports
from the EFTA States will be gradually reduced until January 2020 when custom duties on all
industrial products will be completely eliminated.
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• Support and increase bilateral trade between Egypt and EFTA states.
• - Promote the economic integration into the Euro Med Zone through the liberalization of trade
in industrial and processed agricultural products
• - Accordingly, Egyptian exports of industrial products are liberalized and Egyptian customs
tariffs on industrial imports from the EFTA States will be gradually reduced until January 2020
when custom duties on all industrial products will be completely eliminated.
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The Ministers of
Labor and
Education sign a
cooperation
protocol
• The Ministry of Labor witnessed, today, Tuesday, the signing of a cooperation protocol with the Ministry of
Education and Technical Education, regarding the development of the vocational and technical training
system, where the "protocol" was signed by Mr. Mohamed Gebran, Minister of Labor, and Mr. Mohamed Abdel
Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education.
• Minister Mohamed Gebran stressed that this "protocol" is a qualitative leap in the vocational training system,
and the qualification of young people, according to the needs of the labor market at home and abroad, in line
with the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to link the training and educational process to the required
professions, especially future ones, imposed by the technological boom around the world.
• Minister Gebran pointed out that the Ministry of Labor has an integrated vocational training system, consisting
of fixed training centers that provide training services to young people for free, especially within the villages of
the presidential initiative "Decent Life", as well as the "New Beginning for Human Development" initiative.
Gebran said that linking training to the needs of the labor market was a dream that is now being fulfilled in light
of the integration of the two ministries to achieve the graduation of a worker at a level that suits the patterns of
the labor market.
• Minister Gebran explained that the "protocol" includes cooperation and coordination, and benefiting from the
capabilities of the "two ministries" of expertise and vocational training centers, schools and classes
specializing in technical and industrial education, and advanced curricula to expand the training process to
keep pace with the culture of the "new republic".
• For his part, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, stressed the
importance of this "protocol" within the framework of the Egyptian state's plan to develop capabilities and
qualify young people for future professions and the labor market, as it comes within the framework of
expanding policies to support technical and technological education and adding more than 30 new technical
schools.
• The Minister of Education added that technical education is one of the most important files that the ministry is
keen to make every effort to develop in cooperation with various ministries and entities, as it represents one of
the most important ways to achieve sustainable development, noting that the ministry's vision aims to create a
breakthrough in the technical education system to graduate students whose skills and abilities keep pace with
the changing requirements of the labor market.
• The signing of the protocol was attended by Dr. Ayman Bahaa El-Din, Deputy Minister, and Dr. Amr Basila,
Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Development, and Director of the Operation and
Management Unit of Applied Technology Schools.
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Goal 1: End
poverty in
all its forms
everywhere
• Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Extreme poverty, defined as surviving on less than $2.15 per person per day at 2017 purchasing power
parity, has witnessed remarkable declines over recent decades.
• However, the emergence of COVID-19 marked a turning point, reversing these gains as the number of individuals living in
extreme poverty increased for the first time in a generation by almost 90 million over previous predictions.
• Even prior to the pandemic, the momentum of poverty reduction was slowing down. By the end of 2022, nowcasting
suggested that 8.4 per cent of the world’s population, or as many as 670 million people, could still be living in extreme
poverty. This setback effectively erased approximately three years of progress in poverty alleviation.
• If current patterns persist, an estimated 7% of the global population – around 575 million people – could still find
themselves trapped in extreme poverty by 2030, with a significant concentration in sub-Saharan Africa.
• A shocking revelation is the resurgence of hunger levels to those last observed in 2005. Equally concerning is the
persistent increase in food prices across a larger number of countries compared to the period from 2015 to 2019. This
dual challenge of poverty and food security poses a critical global concern.
• Why is there so much poverty
• Poverty has many dimensions, but its causes include unemployment, social exclusion, and high vulnerability of certain
populations to disasters, diseases and other phenomena which prevent them from being productive.
• Why should I care about other people’s economic situation?
• There are many reasons, but in short, because as human beings, our well- being is linked to each other. Growing
inequality is detrimental to economic growth and undermines social cohesion, increas- ing political and social tensions
and, in some circumstances, driving instability and conflicts.
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• Why is social protection so important?
• Strong social protection systems are essential for mitigating the effects and preventing many people from
falling into poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic had both immediate and long-term economic consequences
for people across the globe – and despite the expansion of social protection during the COVID-19 crisis, 55
per cent of the world’s population – about 4 billion people – are entirely unprotected.
• In response to the cost-of-living crisis, 105 countries and territories announced almost 350 social protection
measures between February 2022 and February 2023. Yet 80 per cent of these were short-term in nature,
and to achieve the Goals, countries will need to implement nationally appropriate universal and sustainble
social protection systems for all.
• What can I do about it?
• Your active engagement in policymaking can make a difference in addressing poverty. It ensures that your
rights are promoted and that your voice is heard, that inter-generational knowledge is shared, and that
innovation and critical thinking are encouraged at all ages to support transformational change in people’s
lives and communities.
• Governments can help create an enabling environment to generate pro- productive employment and job
opportunities for the poor and the marginalized.
• The private sector has a major role to play in determining whether the growth it creates is inclusive and
contributes to poverty reduction. It can promote economic opportunities for the poor.
• The contribution of science to end poverty has been significant. For example, it has enabled access to safe
drinking water, reduced deaths caused by water-borne diseases, and improved hygiene to reduce health
risks related to unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation.
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• If current trends continue, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty and only one-third of countries
will have halved their national poverty levels by 2030.
• Despite the expansion of social protection during the COVID-19 crisis, over 4 billion people remain entirely
unprotected. Many of the world’s vulnerable population groups, including the young and the elderly, remain
uncovered by statutory social protection programmes.
• The share of government spending on essential services, such as education, health and social protection, is
significantly higher in advanced economies than in emerging and developing economies.
• A surge in action and investment to enhance economic opportunities, improve education and extend social
protection to all, particularly the most excluded, is crucial to delivering on the central commitment to end poverty
and leave no one behind.
• The global poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 is revised slightly up by 0.1 percentage points to 8.5 percent, resulting
in a revision in the number of poor people from 648 to 659 million. (World Bank)
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BRITA TAMM
502-555-0152
thank you
brita@firstupconsultants.com
www.firstupconsultants.com