Famed American author Ernest Hemingway once said that retirement is the ugliest word in the language. This is mostly true for those who let the word become a state, but not to Anhar Hegazi, whose dedication to her work comes “from love,” as she puts it. Determined and dynamic, Hegazi is well known around ESCWA, where she is the Head of the Sustainable Development and Productivity Division (SDPD). The Information team spoke with her shortly before retirement, and she had a few words to say about her work in the Regional Commission, the achievements of her division, and on life.
UN information Service (UNIS): Tell us more about the course that led you to ESCWA?
Hegazi: My background allowed me to become part of the ESCWA team. I have a PhD in solar power engineering, and occupied various positions in my home country, Egypt, since 1971. From my first job in the National Research Centre, I went on to become the undersecretary for research and development in the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) with core responsibility to promote Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RE and EE). I worked for 29 years in Egypt, during which I also was a consultant for many international organizations, ESCWA included. My first encounter with ESCWA was in 1986 as a consultant on the use of renewable energy in rural and remote areas in the ESCWA region. I was eventually chosen for the post of Chief of the Energy Section in 1997.
Before I started with my colleague Mohammad Kordab in July 1997, who has also retired now, the section had zero staff members. It was the second part of the biennium, and there was a full programme of work planned to be implemented by the section. Five months later, together with the guidance and support of the Regional Advisor on Energy and the Chief of the Division, we were able to issue three publications, hold two Expert Group Meetings (EGM) and organize the first session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Energy.
UNIS: How would you describe the difference between those first years and now, in terms of achievements and progress of work?
Hegazi: While I was Chief of Energy Section (July 1997 to February 2004), together with my colleagues, we were able to activate the energy section, to be well recognized by member countries (MCs) in several areas, particularly energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy in transport, and climate change mitigation even before there was emphasis on the subject. As In addition to that, we have established our first Regional Cooperation Mechanism on energy for sustainable development issues that promoted exchange of expertise among MCs.
Then in 2004, I was appointed Director of SDPD and the scope of work varied. I enjoyed that and came well prepared for it because of my background, previous experience and varied working partnerships. I can say that the SDPD mandate covers the largest spectrum of development issues that MCs are concerned with in this region. One of the crucial issues we work on is water, because of its scarcity and the increase of the demand for it in development processes. SDPD was able to be instrumental for our countries in this issue through promoting Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and devoting efforts towards the management of shared water resources, as well as the establishment of ACWUA (Arab Countries Water Utilities Association) 2007, which promotes regional cooperation on water supply and sanitation, and corresponds with our need to promote the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, especially Goal 7 (ensuring environmental sustainability).
Therefore, I can claim that ESCWA has really built its reputation in the countries of this region in this area. Also, developing and promoting issues of Energy for Sustainable Development is high on SDPD Agenda, the results of our work have created several positive impacts in MCs particularly in the areas of RE and EE as well as energy accessibility to rural areas. Through our cooperation with the League of Arab States (LAS) and UN Environment Programme- Regional Office for Western Asia (UNEP/ ROWA), we have been instrumental in the formulation of several Arab Declaration and action plans on energy for sustainable development, such as “Abu Dhabi Declaration on Energy and Environment” and “Energy for sustainable development, an Arab action plan” and on climate change “Draft Arab Framework Action Plan on Climate Change”, which were endorsed by the Council of Arab Ministers responsible for Environment and followed by many Arab countries. This means that policies and actions proposed by us have been followed not only by MCs but also by all Arab countries and this is a main benefit of our cooperation with the League of Arab States (LAS) that increases the spectrum of our services, and extends them to the rest of the Arab countries.
We were also able to contribute as well to the development of capacities of our MCs in other important areas, such as the enterprise development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (strongly related to job creation and poverty alleviation), and the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy in transport. This brings me directly to the issue of climate change, which all SDPD sections are highly concerned with, in terms of the assessment of its impacts on the region and the development of efforts towards adaptation to it and its mitigation.
Above all in the area of sustainable development, ESCWA has been leading the Arab preparations for the cycles of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Right now and since 2002, we have been leading all these preparations, and we are the responsible agency to report annually the CSD to New York on the status of the implementation of World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in the Arab region, which we do in cooperation with LAS and UNEP/ROWA
UNIS: Many achievements and a long successful career. Surely you are not stopping here. What is next on your agenda, after ESCWA?
God knows. But I am sure of two things: that I have to go and enjoy my family. What is more: enjoy my grand children. But for sure, I will not stop working. Currently, I have several offers, it may or may not work, but what I am really interested in is to go into the civil society. All of our countries have problems and it is not a secret that my country Egypt has a severe problem with communities in need for help, and I am not talking charity. I am talking about using the expertise that I have gained and the network of relations that I have right now to serve effectively the development of the communities, within Egypt, the Arab region and outside.
UNIS: What would you advise young professionals just starting their careers, especially women who have to juggle work inside the home and outside of it?
Hegazi: I have one word to say: “LOVE”. If you love what you are doing, then you can do it, and you accept whatever loads it brings. You should also be aware that achievement and development are parts of a chain. You must work with everyone, because if one ring in the chain falls, work stops for the whole chain. Having dedicated working relationships is the responsibility of each person: the unity of the group builds the strength of each member. I lived my 13 years in ESCWA with all my heart, and what I remember is that 99 per cent of the staff I worked with are very dedicated people. I can assure you that we were always living as a family; colleagues should not compete but should support each other, because finally it is to the benefit of all.
In all my professional life, I really loved what I did and I really believed that whoever I am outside home, inside the home I am the wife. I hope all young ladies do not fall into the mistake of competing with their husbands. The more you show your husband respect, and take up the role of the mother and wife within the family, the more, no matter who you are, he will support you.
Introducing Roula Majdalani: Next Director of SDPD
Replacing Hegazi at the Head of SDPD is Roula Majdalani, a dynamic person with a strong experience in water resources management, field work, urban planning and social development.
“I was glad to know that my colleague Roula was selected,” Hegazi said, “because first of all she has a long term experience with ESCWA. She does not come from outside and will not have to familiarize herself with the organization. Second, because she knows the region well. Third, and most of all, because she is from the SDPD family."
Majdalani holds a masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Syracuse University in the USA. She joined ESCWA in 1989 as Human Settlements Officer, and in 2002 she moved to SDPD and worked with the Water section as First Economic Affairs Officer. She has also served between 1993 and 1994 in South Africa as a Political Observer in the UN Peace Building Mission. In January 2008, she was appointed Chief of Technical Cooperation Section (TCS) in the ESCWA Program Planning and Technical Cooperation Division (PPTCD). Majdalani returned to SDPD in April 2010 as Chief of Productive Sectors Section, with an accumulated knowledge in the fields of urban development and housing, local governance, civil society and implementation mechanisms.
About Sustainable Development and Productivity (SDPD)
SDPD aims to improve the sustainable management of natural resources in the region, with particular emphasis on the water, energy and production sectors, always taking climate change into account. Its work focuses on issues related to energy for sustainable development, enterprise development, and sustainable agriculture and rural development.
The core functions of the division are:
To promote regional and subregional cooperation with regard to energy, natural resources, the environment, agriculture and industry and assist member countries in the harmonization of policies, measures, norms and standards in these areas; to promote integrated water resource management and contribute to mechanisms for equitable sharing of water resources between countries in the region; to monitor the implementation of Agenda 21 in the region and assist member countries in formulating, developing and implementing environmental policies; to assist member countries with the introduction of scientific and technological variables into socio-economic planning with a view to ensuring sustainable development; and to support the private sector and the development of entrepreneurship.