United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Mahmoud Mohieldin of Egypt as the Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda.

The Secretary-General recognizes the critical role of the United Nations in providing the leadership and support to the member countries in facilitating and accelerating financing for sustainable development. The Secretary-General released his Strategy for Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2018 with a clear vision for transforming the global financial systems and economic policies in line with the 2030 Agenda, enhancing sustainable financing strategies and investments at regional and country levels, and seizing the opportunities presented by financial innovations, new technologies and digitalization to provide equitable access to finance.

The Special Envoy will focus on global, regional and national issues related to public finance and support the implementation of the Secretary-General’s Strategy for Financing the 2030 Agenda across the United Nations system, in close collaboration with international financial institutions and the private sector. The Special Envoy will ensure that there is collective action by United Nations  agencies, development partners and the private sector to work with member countries in scaling up finance for 2030 Agenda in the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, and address barriers and challenges that constrain public finance for sustainable development. The Special Envoy will work closely with the Special Envoy for Climate Action and Climate Finance, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and other relevant United Nations agencies and departments.

Mr. Mohieldin, an economist, was the former Minister of Investment of Egypt from 2004-2010, and most recently, served as the World Bank Group Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations and Partnerships. His roles at the World Bank also included Managing Director, responsible for Human Development, Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, Finance and Private Sector Development, and the World Bank Institute; World Bank President's Special Envoy on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Post-2015 Development Agenda (later, the Sustainable Development Goals), and Financing for Development; and Corporate Secretary and Executive Secretary to the Development Committee of the World Bank Group's Board of Governors. His professional experience extends into the academic arena as a Professor of Economics at Cairo University and as a Visiting Professor at several renowned Universities.

Mr. Mohieldin holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom; a Master’s in Economics and Social Policy Analysis from the University of York, United Kingdom; a Diploma of Development Economics from the University of Warwick; and a B.Sc. in Economics from Cairo University. He also participated in high-level certification programmes at Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University.