Inclusive Growth and Innovation

 

UNDP will continue building an inclusive and resilient economy by expanding opportunities and access for more people, in particular women and youth, and facilitating the transformations needed to accelerate export-oriented and knowledge based sustainable growth. This will require equipping youth with core digital and entrepreneurial skills for future jobs and an outward-looking, diversified and innovative MSME sector. For this to translate into more jobs, equal opportunity should be provided through affordable access to information technologies and finance, capacity development focusing on entrepreneurship and digital for MSMEs.

Economic Development

Through re-skilling, up-skilling and entrepreneurial programs, UNDP boosts inclusive and sustainable economic development efforts which invest in knowledge- and technology-based production and enhance the innovation capacities and competitiveness of the economy. UNDP supports emerging innovators and entrepreneurs (especially youth and women), with a particular focus on digitalization, to solve priority challenges in agriculture inclusion and health while creating jobs.

Entrepreneurship development will be fostered through the MSME Development Agency and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. Women’s economic empowerment is addressed with the National Council for Women, and digital skills-building for increased employability is advanced in partnership with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The transformation of the MSME sector will require that incentives, skills transfers, business development services and financing support are provided directly to entrepreneurs with regular impact monitoring.

Digital Transformation

To improve human-centered, inclusive services, UNDP promotes efficient, transparent and accountable public institutions, government e-services and access to information, especially for individuals with limited access to and use of the Internet. UNDP works with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology with innovations that lead to improved Internet access for all.

Impact Investment

In order to leverage the private capital necessary to bridge the gap in financing for the Goals and help orient capital towards the agreed targets, UNDP works with investors, investees, market intermediaries and business associations to mainstream impact investment practices, identify new opportunities through investment maps and improve standards through impact management, monitoring and reporting tools.

Peace & Conflict Prevention

UNDP supports national institutions, including the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding and the Aswan Forum, to deepen regional/global partnerships, facilitate South-South cooperation and increase the numbers of development solutions exchanged.

Collaboration with United Nations agencies in capacity-building for youth and digital transformation will be strengthened in alignment with the Generation Unlimited programme, with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) on women’s economic empowerment, and with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the umbrella of the United Nations Joint Team for Digital Transformation and Innovation.