Past Event

Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference

During the four-day event, participants will address the Middle East and North Africa's multiple climate change challenges, such as water scarcity, rising temperatures, rising sea levels, desertification, land degradation, energy demands and emissions, agriculture and food security, biodiversity loss, human displacement, and migration.

Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference

Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference.

 

 

Read the proceedings of the Climate-smart Public Financial Management MENA Conference (pdf)

From February 26 to 29, 2024, over 200 participants gathered in Cairo to attend the regional Climate Smart Public Financial Management (PFM) Conference. The event aimed at bringing together Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. Leading international experts and World Bank staff working on climate smart and green public financial management facilitated the discussions and experience-sharing. Sessions focused on practical implementation of countries’ climate and green objectives in the budget process and other important components of the public financial management system. The regional conference hosted delegations from 16 MENA countries including representatives from Ministries of Finance, representatives from relevant sectoral ministries (i.e., Ministries of Planning, Environment or other) and government officials from Supreme Audit Authorities. The conference participants also included World Bank staff and partner organizations.

The main objectives of the regional conference were to:

1.     Help finance specialists from Ministries of Finance in MENA countries to solidify an understanding of climate risks and green growth opportunities across government and the broader public sector, integrate climate and green objectives in government core processes and decision-making, and mainstream climate and green objectives in public financial management.

2.     Facilitate the exchange of professional experience and knowledge transfer among PFM practitioners across MENA countries.

3.     Discuss the Ministries of Finance's priorities, plans for moving forward, and relevant international experience related to climate action and green growth.

4.     Strengthen government stakeholders' capacity to design and implement PFM reforms using the GovEnable participatory and iterative framework, aiming for concrete development results.

5.     Support the country level efforts and facilitate collaboration across countries in MENA on mitigation and adaptation to climate change and application of international and regional best practices in integrating climate change objectives in public financial management through joint activities aiming to address the common issues.

Group photo of the participants to the Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference.

The Middle East and North Africa region faces multiple climate change challenges and tackling them will require from countries collaborative efforts across the whole of public sector supported by effective management of public finances. Key climate change challenges in the MENA region that have implications for public finance and call for the need to scale up by crowding in private sector and concessional financing include:

  • Water Scarcity: The MENA region is one of the most water-stressed areas in the world. It already faces water scarcity due to limited freshwater resources, population growth, and agricultural demands. Climate change exacerbates this problem by altering rainfall patterns and accelerating evaporation, leading to decreased water availability and increased competition for water resources.
  • Rising Temperatures: The MENA region experiences some of the highest temperatures globally, and climate change is expected to lead to further temperature increases. Extreme heat events can have severe impacts on human health, agriculture, and ecosystems, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in the region.
  • Sea-Level Rise: The MENA region has an extensive coastline, and many coastal cities and communities are vulnerable to rising sea levels. Sea-level rise can lead to coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, and increased risks of flooding and storm surges, threatening livelihoods and infrastructure.
  • Desertification and Land Degradation: Climate change contributes to desertification and land degradation in the region, which negatively impacts agriculture and food security. Prolonged droughts and increasing temperatures can result in the expansion of arid areas, making land less suitable for cultivation.
  • Energy Demands and Emissions: High temperatures drive up energy demands for cooling, which can strain electricity grids. The region's heavy reliance on fossil fuels for energy production also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, further aggravating global climate change.
  • Agriculture and Food Security: Climate change affects agricultural productivity and food security in the MENA region. Unpredictable rainfall patterns, increased droughts, and water scarcity can lead to crop failures and decreased agricultural yields.
  • Biodiversity Loss: Climate change poses a threat to the region's unique biodiversity and ecosystems. It can disrupt natural habitats, alter migration patterns of animals, and put various plant and animal species at risk of extinction.
  • Human Displacement and Migration: Climate-induced environmental changes, such as water scarcity and agricultural disruptions, can contribute to human displacement and migration within and across borders, leading to social and political challenges.

These challenges require urgent attention and concerted efforts to ensure sustainable development and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Advancement of climate smart and green policies is largely dependent on effective public institutions, particularly public finance, and management systems. Ministries of Finance in MENA countries play a crucial role in addressing these issues. By integrating climate considerations into fiscal policies, economic planning, and international cooperation, Ministries of Finance can drive the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient economies, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future for the region.

The conference is based on Helsinki Principles adopted by more than 70 countries- members of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action.

         Principle 1                 

Align our policies and practices with the Paris Agreement commitments 

Principle 2

Share our experience and expertise with each other in order to provide mutual encouragement and promote collective understanding of policies and practices for climate action 

Principle 3

Work towards measures that result in effective carbon pricing 

Principle 4

Take climate change into account in macroeconomic policy, fiscal planning, budgeting, public investment management, and procurement practices

Principle 5

Mobilize private sources of climate finance by facilitating investments and the development of a financial sector which support climate mitigation and adaptation

Principle 6 Engage actively in the domestic preparation and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement  

Ministries of Finance cannot act alone and should seek to promote a collaborative approach. Climate action is a story of structural transformation, investment, and innovation across all sectors. This demands strong cross-agency collaboration and integrating climate action into the decision-making of all government departments. While Ministries of Finance play a key role, Heads of State, Ministries of Planning, Environment, Energy, Transport, and many others have an equally critical part to play – and many ministries have been acting on climate for decades. Finance Ministries need to match this effort and enable and support the climate leadership of other actors, including through national budgets. 

The budget cycle is an essential tool for the government to support the coordination and implementation of climate action. Understanding and agreeing on what climate action is needed and how and why it may be obstructed creates a platform to effectively drive climate action through the PFM system.

The conference agenda followed the budget cycle across five stages to consider key PFM elements that impact climate action, and possible functional change that might be required to bolster the PFM system for climate impact. At each point, the critical questions policy makers asked were around HOW to make the PFM system effective in facilitating climate action. The answers varied depending on national context and benefited greatly from consultation among stakeholders inside and outside of government. The conference agenda addressed the five stages of the budget cycle (below) to identify where challenges for climate action may emerge and offered examples of possible impacts and functional change required to address the challenge. 

World Bank

To make the conference useful and practical, participants shared the status of climate action in their country, highlighting the following:

• Is there a Climate Strategy and Action Plan? What are the main pillars of the strategy and targeted goals within five years?

• Is there a Climate Change Coordination Entity? What is the scope of its role?

• Work at the Ministry of Finance regarding integration of climate considerations in fiscal policies and the budget process.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

DAY 1

THEME: CLIMATE PRIORITIES AND ROLE OF MINISTRIES OF FINANCE

9:00 - 9:30 am
(30 min)

Opening remarks | View Event Proceedings
  • Sherine Hamed El Sharkawy, First Deputy Minister of Finance, Egypt
  • Stephane Guimbert, Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, Middle East and North Africa, World Bank
  • Nadir Mohamed, Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa Region, Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, World Bank
  • Carlos Orjales, Program Manager and Senior Economist, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Switzerland (SECO)

Jasmine Taha Zaki, Mistress of Ceremonies 

1- Climate priorities in MENA countries 

Moderator: Richard Anthony Sutherland, Senior Governance Specialist and Program Manager of the Financial Management Umbrella Program, World Bank

This session discusses climate priorities and national climate strategies and policies in MENA countries.

To replay the entire opening remarks and session 1, click here.

9:30 - 9:45 am
(15 min)

MENA Climate Change Challenges and Opportunities

Syed Adeel Abbas, MENA Regional Coordinator for climate change, World Bank | View Presentation (pdf)

9:45 - 9:55 am
(10 min)

           Strengthening Institutions for Climate Change

Laura Zoratto, Senior Economist, World Bank | View Presentation (pdf)

9:55 - 10:30 am
(35 min)

           Climate Priorities for Egypt, Jordan and Morocco

           (discussed by country representatives)

Eng. Sherif Abdel Rahim Hosny, Head of Central Department for Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Egypt | View Presentation  (pdf)

Manar Abu Hazim, Head of Emissions Reduction Department, Climate Change Directorate, Ministry of Environment, Kingdom of Jordan 

Representative from Morocco

           Conclusion by moderator

10:30 - 11-00 am

Break

2- Roles of Finance and Planning in Climate Smart Policies

Moderator: Mark Ahern, Program Leader and Lead Economist, Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, World Bank

This session will focus on levers that ministries of finance and planning have in coordinating economic, fiscal and financial policymaking to secure a sustainable and climate resilient future for their countries.

To replay the entire session 2, click here.

11:00 - 11:30 am

Themes:

Entry Points for Ministries of Finance and Planning in Climate Smart Policies

Jens Kristensen, Practice Manager, Governance Global Practice, MENA, World Bank | View Presentation (pdf)

11:30 - 12:00 pm

Building Climate Finance: Initiatives by Egypt’s Ministry of Finance

Sherine Hamed El Sharkawy, First Deputy Minister of Finance, Egypt

12:00 - 12:30 pm 

Q&A

12:30 - 2:30 pm

Lunch & Prayer
Group photo

3 - Planning for Climate Action

Moderator: Winston Cole, Lead Financial Management Specialist, World Bank

This session discusses climate change risks and their implications and how government planning helps to accelerate climate action.

To replay the entire session 3, click here.

2:30 - 2:55 pm

Climate Change Risks and Implications for Public Finances and Planning

Speakers:

Murray Petrie, International Expert on Climate and Green Fiscal Policy and Budgeting | View Presentation (pdf)

2:55 - 3:15 pm

Egypt’s Vision 2030 – Strategic Planning for Climate Action

Dr Mona Esam, Assistant Minister of Planning and Economic Development for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Egypt | View Presentation (pdf)

3:15 - 3:30 pm

Towards Achieving Egypt’s Medium-Term Climate Goals – the Road Ahead

Eng. Sherif Mohamed Abdel Rahim Hosny, Head of Central Department for Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Egypt | View Presentation (pdf)

3:30 - 4:00 pm

Discussion and Q&A

4:00 pm

End of Day 1

DAY 2

THEME: FINANCING CLIMATE ACTION AND IMPLEMENTATION

4 – Using the Budget to Drive Climate Action

Moderator: Nataliya Biletska, Senior Public Sector Specialist, World Bank

This session discusses how governments can drive climate action through fiscal policy and budgeting.

To replay the entire session 4, click here.

9:00 - 9:25 am
(5 min)

Climate Change Fiscal Policy and Macro Considerations

Speakers:

Zeljko Bogetic, Lead Economist, World Bank | View Presentation (pdf)

9:25 - 9:50 am
(25 min)

Climate Smart and Green Budgeting

Murray Petrie, International Expert on Climate and Green Fiscal Policy and Budgeting | View Presentation (pdf)

9:50 - 10:10 am
(20 min)

Climate PEFA: From Diagnostics to Action

Speaker:

Holy Tiana Rame, Senior Governance Specialist,PEFA Secretariat | View Presentation (pdf)

10:10 - 10:45 am
(35 min)

Q&A

10:45 - 11:15 am

Coffee break

 

5 – Preparing a Plan to Drive Climate Action

Facilitator: Tim Williamson, Senior Governance and Public Sector Specialist | View Presentation (pdf)

This session introduces a framework followed by a group exercise to prepare and implement a plan to drive climate action.

To replay the entire session 5, click here.

11:15 - 12:45 pm
(30 min)

The Framework for Driving Climate Action

Group Exercise

  • What is the role and opportunity for ministries of planning and finance and the budget cycle in driving priority climate action?
  • What are the potential and actual bottlenecks that you might face in driving climate action through the budget?
  • Which institutions need to be involved in developing solutions?

Report Back and Plenary Discussion

Speakers:

Tim Williamson, Senior Governance and Public Sector Specialist, World Bank

Conference participants

12:45 - 2:30 pm

Lunch & Prayer

6 - Climate Smart Investment Management

Moderator: Laura Castro de Zoratto, Senior Economist, World Bank

This session discusses a framework for climate smart public investment management, relevant country examples and how to make climate Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) happen.

To replay the entire session 6, click here.

2:30 - 3:00 pm
(30 min)

Climate Smart Public Investment Management and Asset Management

Speaker:
Simon Groom, Public Investment and PPP International Expert | View Presentation (pdf)

3:00 - 3:30 pm
(30 min)



Crowding in Private Sector Investment in Climate Resilient Public Investments

Speaker:

Marcel van den Broek, Public Investment and PPP International Expert | View Presentation (pdf)

3:30 - 4:00 pm
(30 min)

Q&A

4:00 pm

End of Day 2

 

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Regional consultation: Reimagining Public Finance

Twenty-five years after the publication of the field-defining Public Expenditure Management Handbook, The World Bank is embarked on a process to review, rethink and update approaches to public finance reform, learning lessons from past success and persistent challenges and responding to shifts in the broader context, including the climate crisis. This session will discuss the framework that is being designed, seek feedback from PFM practitioners in MENA, and set out the next steps “reimagining public finance.”   

Interactive Exercise on lessons learned in the past 25 years on what has worked and what has not worked with PFM

Session moderated by Tim Williamson, Senior Governance and Public Sector Specialist, World Bank | View Presentation (pdf)

 

DAY 3

THEME: STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES, PROCUREMENT OVERSIGHT AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

7 – Green and Resilient State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)

Moderator: Peter Ladegaard, Senior Public Sector Specialist, World Bank


This session identifies the role of SOEs in climate change; discusses the tools to mobilize SOEs for climate change; and shows an example on how an SOE can practically deploy some of these tools.

To replay the entire session 7, click here.

9:00 - 9:50 am
(50 min)

The panel will discuss:

  • Role of SOEs in driving climate change and in providing low-carbon alternatives
  • Approaches and tools used for mobilizing SOEs for climate action
  • Experiences and lessons learned from a regional leader. 

Speakers:

Mr. Philippe Benoit, Research Director, Global Infrastructure Advisory Services 2050, and Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA. | View Presentation

Mr. Jorge Galvezmendez, Policy Advisor at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) | View Presentation

Mr. Naoufal Mahdar, Vice-President of Climate Action & Decarbonisation, Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), Morocco. | View Presentation (pdf)

9:50 - 10:00 am
(10 min)

Q&A

8 – Panel discussion: The Power of Green Public Procurement (GGP) for Climate Action

This session discusses GGP and integrating environmental and sustainability factors into public procurement decisions. 

Moderator: Majed M. El-Bayya, Practice Manager, MENA Governance - Procurement, World Bank.

To replay the entire session 8, click here

10:00 - 10:15 am
(15 min)

Driving Sustainability: World Bank's Green Public Procurement Roadmap for MENA  (Presentation)

Speaker:

Jocelyne Jabbour, Procurement Specialist, World Bank | View Presentation (pdf)

Yolanda Saito, Chief Operating Officer, IMPACTI | View Presentation (pdf)

10:15 - 11:00 am
(45 min)

Panel discussion 

MENA Experience in Green Public Procurement—Emerging Pathways in Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia’s Journey

Speakers:

Eng. Mahmoud Khliefat, Director General, General Tenders Department, Kingdom of Jordan | View Presentation (pdf)

Fatiha Moutchou, Head of Service, International Cooperation in Public Procurement, General Treasury, Kingdom of Morocco | View Presentation (pdf)

Rim Zehri, General Controller of Public Procurement, President of the National Observatory of Public Procurement, High Authority of Public Procurement, Tunisia | View Presentation  (pdf)

Conclusion by Moderator

11:00 - 11:30 am

Break

 

9 – Sustainability Reporting, Assurance and Accountability of Climate Action

Moderator: Mona El-Chami, Senior Governance Specialist, World Bank

This session discusses climate-responsive accounting, sustainability reporting, assurance, and accountability in the public sector.

To replay the entire session 9 please click here

11:30 - 12:10 pm
(40 min)

The role of Accountants and Auditors in Climate Change Action and skills needed

Public Sector Sustainability Reporting and Climate Related Disclosure

Public Sector Sustainability and Assurance Report

Environmental Accounting and Auditing Implementation of Climate Policies

Speakers:

Ms. Asmaa Resmouki, President, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)

Mr. Mark Johnson, Senior Subject Manager - Public Sector, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Mr. Ross Smith, Program and Technical Director, International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) | View Presentation (pdf)

Dr. Vivi Niemenmaa, Secretary General, INTOSAI Working Group on Environment Audit (INTOSAI WGEA)

12:10 - 12:30 pm
(30 min)

Q&A

1:00 - 2:30 pm

Lunch & Prayer

THEME: CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT/CIVIC TECH IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

10 – Public Participation, Civic Tech, and Climate

Moderator: Stephen R. Davenport, Senior Governance Specialist and Global Lead, World Bank

This session explores how civic tech solutions can advance climate adaptation, mitigation, and emergency response.

To replay the entire session 10, please click here

2:30 - 2:40 pm
(10 min)

Climate Change and CivicTech

Speaker:

Stephen R. Davenport, Senior Governance Specialist and Global Lead, World Bank

2:40 - 3:20 pm
(40 min)

Panel Discussion 

CivicTech Solutions for Climate Change and the Role of Government, Private Sector and Civil Society Stakeholders

Speakers:

Lauren Kahn, Director, Public Digital, UK | View Presentation (pdf)

James Stewart, CTO, Public Digital, UK

Fadia Elgharib, Community Manager, Global Innovation Gathering, Egypt/Germany 

View Presentation (pdf)

Lamiaa Nail, Manager, San3a Tech, Egypt | View Presentation (pdf)

3:20 - 3:30 pm
(10 min)

Q&A

Workshop Closing

3:30 - 3:45 pm
(15 min)

Concluding remarks

Speakers:

Jens Kristensen, Practice Manager, MENA Governance, World Bank

Representative from the Ministry of Finance, Arab Republic of Egypt

3:45 pm

End of Day 3

DAY 4: FIELD TRIP ORGANIZED BY EGYPT MINISTRY OF FINANCE

Speakers

Asmaa Resmouki image for Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference

Asmaa Resmouki

President, IFAC

Since November 2022, Ms. Asmaa Resmouki has served as IFAC's President. She has more than thirty years of experience in the accountancy and auditing profession, including serving as audit partner in the large auditing firms (Deloitte and EY) in Morocco. In 2020, she started her consultancy practice firm where she has been assisting different organizations in projects relating to the profession and to advisory services.

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Carlos Orjales

Program Manager and Senior Economist, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Switzerland (SECO)

Mr. Orjales has twenty years of experience in designing, implementing, and monitoring technical assistance programs in the areas of public finance management and financial sector development. As the thematic lead on tax policy and administration, he represented Switzerland in several global initiatives and international fora dedicated to domestic resources mobilization. Since 2020, he has been responsible for digital government transformation at SECO. 

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Dr Vivi Niemenmaa

Secretary General of the INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA) at the National Audit Office of Finland

Dr Vivi Niemenmaa is Secretary General of the INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA) at the National Audit Office of Finland. She leads the activities of WGEA, a network of 86 Supreme Audit Institutions, which develops audit methodology and provides support and a platform for peer exchange.

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Fadia Elgharib

Community Manager, Global Innovation Gathering, Berlin, Germany

Fadia Elgharib is the community manager at the Global Innovation Gathering in Berlin, Germany, a network of grassroots innovators, social entrepreneurs, founders, and managers of makerspaces, and innovation hubs. Fadia has facilitated meaningful exchanges between organizations across Europe, Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia for the past five years, building on members' pools of knowledge and existing technologies

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Holy Tiana Rame

Senior Governance Specialist, PEFA

Holy-Tiana Rame is Senior Governance Specialist within the PEFA Secretariat. She joined the PEFA Secretariat in September 2013. She has been instrumental in the upgrade of the PEFA Framework and the development and piloting of the PEFA supplementary framework on climate responsive PFM (PEFA Climate). She has advised PEFA assessment teams of more than 50 countries across the world.

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James Stewart

CTO Public Digital, UK

James is a Partner at Public Digital, a specialist digital transformation consultancy working with large institutions globally. He has worked with public and private sector organisations to build their technology capabilities, develop digital and transformation strategies, and help them deliver radical new services.

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Jens Kromann Kristensen

Practice Manager in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Jens Kromann Kristensen is a Practice Manager in the Middle East and North Africa Region where he oversees the World Bank programs on governance and institutions as well as fiduciary assurance of the World Bank’s lending portfolio in the region.

He has extensive experience in public sector governance including his previous role as Head of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Secretariat, his work at the Danish Ministry of Finance, OECD, KPMG and the World Bank Regional Departments in East Asia & the Pacific, Europe & Central Asia and East & West Africa.

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Lamiaa Nail

Manager, San3a Tech, Egypt

Lamiaa holds the position of Education Manager at San3a Tech (Fab Lab Egypt) where she leads the design and development of learning experiences and educational programs for makerspaces, such as Maker Diploma and Girls Make. Lamiaa is a Co-founder and an Executive Committee Member at the Arab Science Week (ASW), and formerly, she was a Co-founder and School Program Manager at the Egyptian Science Week (ESW).

Additionally, Lamiaa held the position of Science Communication Specialist at the Department of Physics at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

Mai Malek Abd Elraheem

Mai Malek Abd Elraheem

Senior Auditor, Egypt Accountability State Authority (ASA

Mai is a senior auditor at Egypt Accountability State Authority (ASA). She is a member of ASA’s Working Group on Environment Audit (WGEA). She is the representative of Egypt ASA at the INTOSAI Working Group on Environment Audit (WGEA) Steering Committee. Mia has an M.Sc. in accounting and auditing

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Manar Abu Hazim

Head of Emissions Reduction Department at the Climate Change Directorate within the Ministry of Environment in Jordan

Manar Abu Hazim is a dedicated professional with a background in Water and Environmental Engineering. As head of Emissions Reduction Department, she has been instrumental in developing and implementing strategies to mitigate environmental impact and combat climate change.

She participated in preparing national reports related to emissions mitigation. With a bachelor's and master's degrees in her field, Manar brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Before her current position, she was a Technical Assistant to the Minister's Advisor for Technical Affairs.

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Mark Johnson

Senior Subject Manager - Public Sector, ACCA

Mark leads ACCA’s global public sector research as part of the Policy and Insights team, focusing on current issues affecting finance professionals working in the public sector across different countries. He authored ‘Preparing for Sustainability Reporting and Assurance’, an introduction for the public sector globally, jointly published by ACCA, IFAC and the INTOSAI Development Initiative, and also developed ACCA’s toolkit on green budgeting.

Mark has a MA in Public Administration and Public Policy and a MSc in Public Financial Management. He is a qualified Chartered Public Finance Accountant and previously worked in local government in England.

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Mona El-Chami

Senior Governance Specialist, World Bank

Mona works at both the PEFA Secretariat and the World Bank Governance Global Practice. At the PEFA Secretariat, she is leading the supplementary framework for assessing gender responsive public financial management (PEFA Gender) and supporting the quality assurance tasks of PEFA++.

During her 20-year career at the World Bank, Mona has led and supported operations on governance and public sector management, in addition to advising on fiduciary assurance and designing, development and conducting of knowledge and learning programs.

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Mr Peter Ladegaard

Senior Public Sector Specialist Governance Practice Middle East and North Africa Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Vice Presidency World Bank Group

Peter is Senior Public Sector Specialist working in the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa region. He works across the region with a focus on regulatory governance and state-owned enterprise reforms.

He has extensive experience with driving reforms in these fields, including from earlier assignments with the IFC, OECD, PA Consulting Group, and the Danish Ministry of Finance. Within the World Bank Group he has worked SOE and Regulatory Reform programs in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and South East Asia.

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Ms Fatiha Moutchou

Head of Service, International Cooperation in Public Procurement, General Treasury of the Kingdom of Morocco (TGR) (Kingdom of Morocco)

An experienced procurement professional, Ms Moutchou brings a wealth of knowledge built from her diverse background in responsible financial positions. She boasts expertise in expenses control, public procurement, and budget management. In addition to her responsibilities at the TGR, Mrs. Fatiha MOUTCHOU is actively involved in conducting training and seminars, particularly focused on the integration and professionalization of management services.

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Yolanda Saito

Chief Operating Officer, Impacti

Yolanda Saito is an international lawyer, civil engineer and expert facilitator with 20+ years of professional experience in the sustainable development sector. She has advised various public and private sector companies to lead the way in designing sustainable operations and supply chains, specializing in designing reform pathways, capacity building and market engagement through digital tools and data-driven approaches.

She is a co-author of the World Bank’s 2021 publication on Green Public Procurement: An Overview of Green Reforms in Country Procurement Systems. Her company, Impacti, designs AI-driven GHG/SDG impact management software to engage offices and suppliers in carbon neutrality goals, used by United Nations agencies and companies worldwide. 

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Nadir Mohamed

Regional Director, Middle East, and North Africa (MENA), Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions (EFI), World Bank

Nadir Abdellatif Mohammed is the Regional Director for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Prior to this appointment, he was the Director of Strategy and Operations in the Human Development Practice Group of the Bank overseeing the Human Capital project; as well as the Global Practices for education; health, nutrition and population; and social protection and jobs.

From 2014-2018, Dr. Mohammed served as the Country Director of the GCC Countries in the MENA region of the World Bank.

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Naoufal Mahdar

Vice-President of Climate Action & Decarbonisation at OCP

Naoufal Mahdar is Vice-President of Climate Action & Decarbonisation at OCP since 2020. Previously, Naoufal spent over 15 years in various technical and managerial functions at Total and BP, involved within major projects in Northern Europe, Africa and Middle-East. From 2016 to 2020, Naoufal managed a North-African investment fund ventures in energy storage and recycling.

He is also in charge of the OCP decarbonisation program innovation, green projects, carbon farming deployment, carbon offsets and partnerships. 

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Philippe Benoit

Speaker from OECD Secretariat

Philippe Benoit has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of energy, sustainable development and finance, in both the public and private sectors and in academia. He is currently Research Director for the platform Global Infrastructure Analytics and Sustainability 2050 (see www.gias2050.com for a list of his recent publications) and Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP).

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Richard Anthony Sutherland

Senior Governance Specialist and Program Manager of the Financial Management Umbrella Program, World Bank

Richard is a Senior Governance Specialist in the Public Finance and Procurement Global Unit of the World Bank’s Governance Global Practice. He is also a member of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Secretariat. Richard joined the World Bank in 2013.

In his current role, Richard oversees the Financial Management Umbrella Program, a pivotal global initiative utilized by the World Bank to facilitate trust-funded reforms aimed at optimizing public financial management (PFM) in client countries. Serving as the global lead for Climate Change Governance, he leads initiatives to enhance expertise and collaboration in technical areas such as Climate-Responsive Budgeting, Climate-Smart Public Investment Management, and Green Public Procurement

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Ross Smith

Program and Technical Director, IPSASB

Ross leads the IPSASB staff team in their work to develop International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Since joining IPSASB in 2013, Ross has led the development and implementation of IPSASB’s governance activities, and the establishment of the IPSASB Consultative Advisory Group.

Ross also oversaw the IPSASB’s projects related to financial instruments accounting and the development of the IPSASB Strategy and Work Plan 2019-2023. Prior to joining the IPSASB, Ross worked for several years for a big-4 accounting firm in Canada and Japan.

Stephane Guimbert image for Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference

Stephane Guimbert

Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, Middle East and North Africa

Stephane Guimbert was appointed Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, effective August 1, 2023. Prior to this assignment, Guimbert was the Bank’s Operations Policy Director in the Operations Policy and Country Services Vice Presidency (OPCS). In this role, he led the Bank’s operations policy reform and interpretation for all financing instruments.

He co-led the coordination of the IDA/IBRD COVID-19 vaccines program, the steering of the new Country Climate and Development Reports, and the methodology for Paris Alignment of all IDA/IBRD financing flows. He also established a coordination mechanism with other multilateral development banks (MDBs) on operational policies and strengthened the partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

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Stephen R Davenport

Senior Governance Specialist, World Bank

Stephen Davenport is currently the Global Lead for Anticorruption, Openness, and Transparency at the World Bank Group. He currently works on various projects related to Open Government and GovTech, and co-leads the Innovation in Tax Compliance program, which promotes strategies to engender greater trust in tax administrations.

He is an International Development professional with more than 20 years of experience in program innovation, development, fundraising, communications, client relationship management, and delivery of e-Government services for development. More recently, he leads efforts in support of the global transparency, accountability, results, citizen engagement, open government, open data, and open development agendas.

Syed Adeel Abbas image for Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference

Syed Adeel Abbas

Regional Coordinator for climate change in the World Bank, Middle East and North Africa Region

Adeel is the Regional Coordinator for climate change in the World Bank, Middle East and North Africa Region and brings over 20 years of experience in Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Resilience/DRM and Green Growth. In this capacity, he leads the technical advice and guidance to WB programs and projects in the region for climate smart development. He led the development of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Change Roadmap and continues to support the roll out and implementation of the plan and associate knowledge working with teams across the institution.

Tim Williamson image for Climate-smart Public Financial Management Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conference

Tim Williamson

Global Lead, Public Financial Management and Public Investment Management, World Bank

Through his work, Tim aims to strengthen the role of public finance and other governance reforms in enabling the achievement of development results. Tim currently leads an initiative to Reimagine Public Finance and has a particular interest in understanding how governments can drive policy implementation, in areas such as climate change, through the budget.

He is also leading an initiative called GovEnable which aims to empower governments to make public finance and institutions work for service delivery. Tim joined the World Bank in 2016 and was initially based in Nairobi, from where he led governance engagements in Kenya and Uganda.

Wintson Percy Onipede Cole

Winston Percy Onipede Cole

Lead Governance Specialist (Financial Management) Governance Practice

Winston Percy Onipede Cole is a Lead Governance Specialist (Financial Management) in the Governance Practice with 16 years of World Bank experience in East and West Africa, South Asia, Pacific Island Countries, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA). He is a trusted adviser to government counterparts on Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms and other strategic policy issues.

In his career in the Bank, Winston has led wide range of governance reforms ranging from fiscal policy, planning and budget preparation, accounting and financial reporting, internal and external auditing, institutional strengthening, Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS), and contributed to development policy operations.

Sherine Hamed El Sharkawy

Sherine Hamed El Sharkawy

First Deputy Minister of Finance, Egypt

She is entrusted with various responsibilities in relation to economic issues including the issuance of sovereign guarantees as well as loans provided to the Ministry of Finance. She is actively involved with negotiations with various counterparties and financial institutions in this respect.

Mrs. Sharkawy spearheaded the work on Egypt’s first Islamic/conventional loan and second Islamic/green loan as well as the issuance of the Samurai Bond. She is also involved in proposed commercial solutions for various disputes with external parties and resolving various entanglements within government entities. She was part of the team responsible for the Finance Day during COP27, handling various financing solutions to encourage green/sustainable initiatives. She is an experienced corporate banker and financier and has held various roles in direct investment and private equity as well as roles with advisory fields.

Eng Sherif Mohamed Abdel Rahim Hosny

Eng. Sherif Mohamed Abdel Rahim HOSNY

Head of Central Department for Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Egypt

Eng. Hosny has been in this position since July 2015. He is also the National Focal Point to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) & United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 2012.

He is the deputy-head of the Egyptian Climate Change Negotiation Delegation in COPs. Early in 2020, he was nominated to be the National Focal Point to the Green Climate Fund. He is a board member of the Center of Excellence for Research and Applied Studies of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, National Research Center.

Mark Ahern

Mark Ahern

Program Leader and Lead Economist, Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, World Bank

Dr Ahern is currently based in Cairo where he is the Lead Country Economist for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti.

He joined the Bank in 2008 and before his current role he worked on Palestine and Indonesia. Prior to joining the Bank, he worked as an advisor for the IMF with assignments in Africa, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East. Mark is originally from New Zealand where he worked for the New Zealand Treasury, focusing on overseeing SOE reform, tax policy, and leading the Budget team preparing the New Zealand Government budget.

Murray Petrie

Murray Petrie

International Expert on Climate and Green Fiscal Policy and Budgeting

Mr. Petrie is an independent consultant working on the interface between public financial management and environmental sustainability.

He has consulted extensively for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other institutions over the last twenty-five (25) years on fiscal risk management, Climate-sensitive public investment management, and green public financial management.

Mona Esam

Dr Mona Esam

Assistant Minister of Planning and Economic Development for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Egypt

Mona E. Fayed is a Professor at the Economics Department of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University. She got her Ph.D. in Economics in 2010 and was awarded as best Ph.D. thesis by Cairo University.

Mona is currently the Assistant Minister of Planning and Economic Development for Sustainable Development. She is also, a member of the Advisory Board of the International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies (IJEMS), published by the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI), as well as a member of the Editorial Associate Board of the Scientific Journal of Faculty of Economics and Political Science (REPS).

Nataliya Biletska

Nataliya Biletska

Senior Public Sector Specialist, World Bank

Mrs Biletska currently leads policy dialogue on public financial management reforms in Egypt as well as public financial investment management and tax reforms in Palestine. She also leads a program on analytical and advisory activities on climate governance and public financial management in the MENA region.

Previously, she led policy dialogue on public financial management, tax and digital government reforms in Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kyrgyz Republic, Serbia and Ukraine. She has also worked on operations in East Asia. Since joining the Bank in 2000, Nataliya was responsible for the development of public finance and PFM training programs for Bank staff.

Zeljko Bogetic

Željko Bogetić

Lead economist for macroeconomics, trade, and investment, MENA region, World Bank

Mr. Bogetić currently leads analytical and advisory work and economic teams on macroeconomic and structural reform issues focused on Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti. He also leads a program of analytical and advisory activities on macroeconomic policy and climate change in the MENA region.

Previously, he served as the Bank’s lead economist and thematic coordinator for economic policy in the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group. He has also served as the Bank’s lead Economist and Economic Policy Coordinator for Western Balkans, Russian Federation, South Africa and SACU countries, as well as several West African countries. Željko has served at the Bank and the IMF for three (3) decades in a variety of Economist and Leadership roles in all world regions.

Simon Groom

Simon Groom

Public Investment/PPP International Expert

Simon Groom began his career as an Economist working on feasibility studies of transport infrastructure projects, first in the United Kingdom and then internationally. He also worked on broader public financial management reforms in Bosnia, Albania and Vietnam.

Since 2008 he has specialized almost exclusively in advising on public investment management (PIM) reforms, working with the World Bank, IMF and IADB. This has involved participating on PIM diagnostic assessments and providing technical assistance to governments in the European Union, (non-EU) Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Marcel Van den Broek

Marcel Van den Broek

Public Investment/PPP International Expert

Mr. Van den Broek is an independent Consultant specialised in Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and accredited CP3P trainer. His professional experience of more than twenty-five (25) years covers primarily infrastructure finance and PPPs.

He was founder and director of the PPP Unit within the Dutch Ministry of Transport and acted for nine years as Director PPP & Financial Advisory Services at the consulting firm ECORYS. Before ECORYS, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Ministry of Transport in the Netherlands and Arthur Andersen. Marcel has worked on more than one hundred (100) projects predominantly in transport infrastructure including roads, railways, and ports. He has also worked on the real estate sector in over fifty (50) countries, mostly in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Jorge Galvez Mendez

Jorge Galvez Mendez

Senior Policy Advisor, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Mr. Galvez Mendez joined the OECD in 2007 and has had a diverse portfolio including managing work programmes on SMEs, entrepreneurship, competitiveness, responsible business conduct and private sector development.

He has led and contributed to several policy reports and capacity building programmes in emerging countries. He has also advanced the engagement of the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America with the OECD. He joined the State-Owned Enterprises team at the Capital Markets Division of the OECD in January 2024.

Majed M El Bayya

Majed M. El-Bayya

Procurement Manager, Middle East and North Africa Region, the World Bank

Dr. El-Bayya obtained his PhD and master’s degrees in civil engineering—Hydraulics from the University of Missouri-Columbia, MO, USA and his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Birzeit University, Palestine.

He has worked extensively on country public procurement reviews, country public procurement reforms, fiduciary review and led/participated in several studies and research on public procurement. He has provided many capacity building trainings on World Bank procurement procedures and contract management. He also worked as the Global Lead Procurement Specialist working in the EFI Governance Global Practice, as Sr. Operation Officer and Sr. Procurement Specialist in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Central Asia and South Asia region.

Jocelyn Jabbour

Jocelyn Jabbour

Procurement Specialist, MENA region, World Bank

She serves as the procurement Focal Point for the Paris Alignment and the Climate Change Taskforce at the World Bank. With over a decade of experience in World Bank operations, her focus on advancing Green Public Procurement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is evident in her leadership of related projects. This includes her active contribution to procurement reforms, as well as promoting sustainable procurement with transparency and efficiency.

Jocelyne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Wales, UK. She is currently pursuing a PhD in International Law

Rim Zehri

Rim Zehri

General Controller of Public Procurement, President of the National Observatory of Public Procurement, Tunisian Higher Authority of Public Procurement (HAICOP)

Ms. Zehri has held the position of General Controller of Public Procurement since 2014. With over two decades of experience in the field, she has operated at various capacities within key government procurement oversight institutions, including the Former High Tender Board, and the Public Procurement Observatory.

Ms. Zehri has played a pivotal role in fostering strategic dialogues on Public Procurement reforms between the Tunisian Government and its Technical and Financial Partners -including Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) such as the World Bank. She also imparts her expertise as a Lecturer on Public Procurement for the master’s program at the Faculté des Sciences Juridiques de Tunis and has trained senior government officials at the École Nationale d'Administration of Tunis.

Mahmoud Hashim Khliefat

Eng. Mahmoud Hashim Khliefat

General Director at the Government Tenders Department, Kingdom of Jordan

Eng. Khliefat brings a wealth of experience in Public and Green procurement. With an educational background in Civil Engineering from the University of Jordan and an impressive twenty-eight (28) year career, Mr. Khliefat has been involved in a wide range of civil construction projects including hospitals, governmental buildings, international borders, free zones, industrial cities, embassies, investment areas, and infrastructure works.

Since May 2018, Mr. Khliefat has held the position of General Director at the Government Tenders Department, Kingdom of Jordan.

Date: February 26 - 29, 2024

Location: Cairo, Egypt