Egypt, represented by the Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), has won the Arab Council for Youth (ACFY) Award in its first edition for the Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development in Egypt (DT4SDE) project in the youth empowerment in projects and organizations (Enablers) track.
MCIT received the award during the ceremony held in Bahrain and co-organized by ACFY, Arab Voluntary Union (AVU), League of Arab States (LAS), United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, United Nations Population Fund, Arab Planning Institute (API) in Kuwait, World Youth Forum (WYF), and King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID).
DT4SDE surpassed 586 projects representing over 34 countries, meeting the award’s main criteria, namely achieving social and environmental impact through the strategic use of ICT to empower youth.
Egypt’s winning of the award marks the culmination of the Ministry’s efforts in achieving sustainable development and empowering youth through the innovative use of ICT. This milestone also highlights the successful Egyptian experience in youth empowerment and digital community development, leveraging best regional and international practices while facilitating global networking opportunities. In addition, the project met the criteria for scalability, sustainability, and a network of strategic partners.
A joint initiative by MCIT and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), DT4SDE aligns with the Digital Egypt strategy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project aims to harness the power of ICT to achieve SDGs for economic growth while prioritizing social and environmental dimensions. This is achieved by empowering disadvantaged groups, including individuals in remote areas, women, and persons with disabilities (PwDs).
The project offers a diverse array of solutions and training programs aimed at utilizing ICT for the digital upskilling of youth and promoting the social and economic empowerment of women engaged in the informal sectors. It provides training in e-commerce, digital marketing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and financial inclusion for female entrepreneurs.
Moreover, the project helps integrate PwDs into the workforce through an e-platform for empowerment, training, and qualification. DT4SDE also involves raising awareness of cyber risks and digital threats, harnessing technology to address environmental challenges, and increasing awareness about climate change.
DT4SDE leverages an extensive network of partners and stakeholders, including government entities, international organizations, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector to ensure the sustainability of its development model.
The ACFY Award is a prestigious Arab initiative established in response to the recommendations from the 53rd session of the Association of Arab Universities (AARU) General Conference. This global recognition targets youth worldwide across various fields, recognizing innovative and exceptional projects while highlighting the remarkable efforts of youth in driving positive change. The award categories include: technological culture; language empowerment and critical thinking; peaceful and just societies and local and global citizenship; and creative problem-solving, leadership, and decision-making.
The award focuses on SDGs, establishing a direct connection between participating projects and these goals, thus underscoring the projects’ pivotal role in addressing global challenges. The award emphasizes 21st century skills, encouraging the adoption of modern and innovative competencies to achieve the projects’ social and environmental impact, scalability and sustainability, and it harnesses technology tools and applications.
