Egypt and UNESCO Forge Partnership to Boost Inclusive Sports and Youth Empowerment

Minister of Youth and Sports Gohar Nabil held a significant meeting on Monday, October 12, 2026, with Paul Koster, the UNESCO Regional Director for Cairo and director of the UN agency’s liaison office to the Arab League. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation across several key areas, with a particular emphasis on sport for development, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and the development of digital skills.

This meeting aligns with the Ministry of Youth and Sports' strategic objective to fortify its international partnerships and harness external expertise and resources. The goal is to provide robust support for Egyptian youth, advance sports practices, and amplify the role of sports in both human and sustainable development.

The talks explored avenues for building upon the existing collaboration between the ministry and UNESCO. The objective is to develop joint programs and initiatives that leverage sport as a catalyst for sustainable development, encourage community engagement, and broaden access to sports and youth activities. These efforts are designed to be in harmony with the Sustainable Development Goals and Egypt's national priorities for investing in its people and cultivating the capacities of its young citizens.

Minister Nabil underscored the ministry's strong commitment to collaborating with international organizations and benefiting from their specialized knowledge in refining youth and sports programs and initiatives. He stated that such partnerships are crucial for increasing participation in sports, enhancing sport's contribution to community development, and fostering values of participation, tolerance, and equal opportunities.

He further emphasized the importance of leveraging the current cooperation with UNESCO and developing joint projects with measurable outcomes, especially in the domains of inclusive sports, empowering individuals with disabilities, enhancing youth skills, and supporting digital innovation. Minister Nabil also highlighted the necessity of ensuring that proposed initiatives directly address the actual needs of young people and establishing clear frameworks for their implementation and subsequent follow-up.

Paul Koster, in turn, affirmed the significance of strengthening the partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He pointed to the importance of focusing on areas that expand opportunities for youth involvement in development and utilize sport as a means to promote social inclusion and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.