Egypt shows its efforts on HR to UN High Commissioner

CAIRO – 9 March 2018: Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Omar Marwan has submitted Egypt’s voluntarily biannual report regarding its human rights efforts to the UN High Commissioner.

Egypt is keen to fight terrorism without prejudice to human rights guarantees. Laws were issued to stand against all terrorist acts with fair trials, such as laws No. 8 and No. 94 of 2015, and the National Council for Fighting Terrorism and Extremism was also created, Marwan added.

The rules regulating Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights were improved to enhance its independency and to have the right to visit prisoners and detention cells, Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Omar Marwan said in Genève on Thursday.

In the field of civil and political rights, a parliamentary election was conducted in 2015, and a presidential election is being held for the second time under the 2014 constitution. An independent national body with a purely judicial structure was established to supervise the elections and referendums, the report said.

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation and the Supreme Council of the Press were also established as independent entities.

There has also been the amendment of the law organizing public meetings and demonstrations, necessitating notification for a demonstration, and in the case of the objection of the Ministry of the Interior, it must go to the judiciary, who has the final word in this regard.

In the area of ​​support for economic, social and cultural rights, the state has launched the "Takaful and Karam" (Solidarity and Dignity) program to provide a social protection network for the most needy groups. The number of beneficiaries reached about 10 million citizens, as well as the increase of pensions by nearly 35 percent over the last two years, the report mentioned.

On the level of respecting and empowering women, the first woman was appointed as national security adviser to the president, along with six women to hold ministerial positions, bringing the participation of women in the government to 20 percent, in addition to the appointment of a woman for the first time as governor.

In the area of youth empowerment, there are 39 young members of parliament. Five youth conferences were held in the presence of the President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and other state officials.

Egypt slams U.N. High Commissioner over criticizing human rights record

CAIRO - 8 March 2018: The Egyptian Foreign Ministry strongly denounced on Wednesday U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein's annual report that included "false allegations" of political rights violations in Egypt.

In the field of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, eight people with disabilities were elected and another appointed in the parliament. The Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was issued, which covers their political, health, educational, political and social rights, the report added.

With regards to supporting children’s rights, the government, in collaboration with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, launched a national strategy for childhood and motherhood until 2023, in addition to the expansion of free school feeding programs to accommodate more than 11 million students in government schools.

Egypt also withdrew its reservation to Article 21/2 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which prohibits marriage under 18 years of age.

Concerning combating illegal immigration and human trafficking, Egypt issued the Law Against Illegal Immigration and Smuggling of Migrants, and the National Committee for the Prevention and Control of Illegal Immigration and Trafficking in Persons was formed, according to the report.