Cairo, 3- 4 June 2012
After her visit to Africa Regional Office and South Sudan, Kate Gilmore - UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA - continued her inaugural mission passing by Cairo for 2 days to visit the Arab States Regional Office (RO) and the Egypt Country Office (CO).
Upon arrival, Kate Gilmore visited the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research at Al Azhar University that is hosting one of UNFPA CO projects.
During this visit, Kate Gilmore was introduced to “one of the key projects emphasizing the role of Faith Based Organizations in addressing UNFPA mandate specifically, women rights, reproductive health and gender issues,” according to Dr. Magdy Khaled, Assistant Representative for Egypt CO.
One of the outcomes of this partnership, which brought together UNFPA, senior religious leaders and scholars from Al-Azhar as well as the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), was the development and rollout of a reference manual and a training curriculum. The content encourages religious leaders to weave in reproductive health matters and promote gender equality through their weekly Friday sermons.
Then, Kate Gilmore met with the Egyptian Minister of Health & Population (MoHP) and team of Heads of Departments and Advisors. The MoHP highlighted the importance of the work of UNFPA in reducing maternal mortality and assured that despite the “political changes and the prevailing conservative culture,” the partnership with UNFPA will continue, and will even be strengthened.
That same afternoon, Kate Gilmore met with the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to discuss the ICPD PoA implementation review process and the integral role to be played by MoFA on the heels of the review and beyond 2014.
In a less official, more relaxed setting, Kate Gilmore met over lunch with national and regional partners of UNFPA to discuss the overall situation in the region, focusing on how to re-position UNFPA to effectively support the partner NGOs that are on the front line of delivering for the communities.
To wrap up the day, Kate Gilmore met with a group of young Egyptian activists, volunteers from partner NGOs and Y-PEER Network members from across Egyptian governorates. The group engaged in a spontaneous discussion about the field work they are doing, specifically on Sexual and Reproductive Health issues and the difficulties faced on the ground.
In light of the current political situation, young people expressed the strenuous nature of working in Egypt throughout this pivotal time, shedding light on challenges and potential bottlenecks that have sprouted as a result of the outbreak of the Arab Spring. Acknowledging their concerns, Kate Gilmore reiterated her appreciation of all the work that has been done despite time of uncertainty, propelling participants to capitalize on change and find ways to adapt to the changing environment.
On her second day in Cairo, Kate Gilmore inaugurated the new premises of the Arab States Regional Office and Egypt Country Office.
Embarking on a full-day agenda, Gilmore met with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Egypt followed by a series of stimulating discussions with both ASRO and CO teams, covering a myriad of topics.
On the UNCT meeting, Magdy Khaled, UNFPA Assistant Representative and OIC of Egypt CO, said: “Many of the UNCT members expressed their challenges that they face, with changing ministers, a fragile political situation and new political actors.” Kate Gilmore acknowledged the great efforts made by UNCT, a “strong and cooperative team”, in Egypt.
On June 5th, Kate Gilmore continued her marathon tour and headed to Tanzania, but her visit will be remembered and the entire staff would like to thank her for her “refreshing visit”, her energy and her incredible and touching understanding of the region.
