Prof. Hussein Abaza worked for the United Nations for 33 years during the period 1973–2009, out of which 27 years 1982–2009 were with the the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). During his tenure with UNEP he was responsible for formulating and overseeing the implementation of the UNEP Economics and Trade Programme, led the team which conceptualized and launched the UNEP Green Economy initiative in October 2008, and functioned as the Special Assistant to the Executive Director of UNEP. Positions, while at UNEP, also included Chief of the Economic and Trade Branch, Coordinator of the Committee of International Development Institutions on the Environment (CIDIE), and Coordinator of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). Founded the Centre for Sustainable Development Solutions (CSDS) in 2011 with the main objectives of promoting green economy and sustainable development, with particular focus on Egypt and the Middle East. The Center aims at achieving its objectives through technical support, research, training, community-based activities, and public awareness campaigns. As an Advisor to the then Minister of Planning, Follow-up and Administrative Reform and Head of the Sustainable Development Team launched in 2018 a process for revising and updating the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy for Egypt. Led the capacity-building initiative “Be An Ambassador” for sustainable development launched by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development in collaboration with the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development in 2021. Currently, functioning as the Senior Advisor to the Minister of Environment on Sustainable Development and Green Economy, and the Minister of Planning and Economic Development on capacity development for sustainable development.
Currently, a Fellow of the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and a member of the Council of Environmental Science and the Council for Nature Conservation, and Board Member of the Centre of Excellence for Research and Applied Studies on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.
Undertaken his undergraduate studies in Economics at the American University in Cairo, and post- graduate studies at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, in Urban Housing Planning.
Prior to joining UNEP, was as Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Physical and Urban Planning project in Saudi Arabia; Managing Director of the Center of Planning and Architecture in Cairo, Egypt; and Director of the Islamic Investment Company, Central and Northern Region, Saudi Arabia.
Over the course of his professional career, he provided technical assistance and supported country projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Projects aimed at strengthening national capacities to conduct integrated assessment as a tool to integrate environment and social considerations in macroeconomic and sectoral policies, develop a package of policy measures, including economic instruments for implementing mutually supportive environmental, social, and economic policies.
Participated and delivered keynote statements at a series of national, regional and international conferences, workshops and events on sustainable development and "Green Economy" across the globe in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America, including Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Barcelona, Beijing, Beirut, Berlin, Brasilia, Canberra, Florence, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Islamabad, Kyiv, Lima, Ljubljana, Marrakech, Montreal, Moscow, New York, Paris, Qatar, Quebec, Rabat, Tunisia, Washington, and in most sub-Saharan African countries.
During his long and extensive professional life he was a consultant/advisor for a number of international organizations, including the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), European Union (EU), Plan Blue, the Union for the Mediterranean (ufm), the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED), the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), and the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ), SWEEP-Net, Switch-Med Programme, and the League of Arab States.
He prepared and contributed to a series of publications and manuals on environmental and integrated assessment, the interface between trade and environment, valuation of environmental and natural resources, the use of economic instruments for environmental management, and the Green Economy for the Arab Region, and manuals on sustainable development, integrated policy making, environmental impact assessment, green economy, environmental economics, and trade and environment.
Title:
Challenges and Opportunities Facing Sustainable Development in the Arab Region
Abstract:
Science diplomacy has been recently recognized as a means of addressing international and regional problems in a collaborative manner, while ensuring sustainable economic development, environmental protection, and achieving social justice and inclusiveness. My talk will focus on how scientific diplomacy can be used as a tool to address challenges facing Arab countries, including climate change, water scarcity, food security, inflation, negative impacts of the Ukraine–Russian war, and the Arab–Israeli conflict, and achieve sustainable development.