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The Technical Secretariat of the Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights Holds a Meeting with the Human Rights Committee in the House of Representatives within the Framework of Preparing the National Human Rights Strategy

The Technical Secretariat of the Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights held a meeting on Sunday 9 May, with the Human Rights Committee in the House of Representatives to review the most prominent features of the first draft of the National Human Rights Strategy and its targeted results. Ambassador Alaa Rushdie, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Acting Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights, affirmed the Supreme Committee is keen to strengthen communication and consultation with the Human Rights Committee in the House of Representatives to achieve the desired coherence and synergy for all national efforts related to the advancement of human rights. The Acting Head of the Technical Secretariat emphasized that the initiative to prepare the Strategy reflects the firm political will to give impetus to the relevant national efforts. Ambassador Alaa Rushdie explained that the Supreme Committee followed a broad consultative approach within the framework of the preparation process for the draft strategy; and added that the draft adopts a comprehensive and serious approach to promoting fundamental rights and freedoms; the approach is characterized by a clear vision and strategic orientation in planning. The Ambassador stated that the Strategy is considered an ambitious national road map in the field of human rights and an important tool for self-development in this area. He also explained that the time frame for the Strategy’s implementation extends for a period of five years (from mid-2021 until mid-2026); the Strategy includes four main axes of action that complement each other, namely: civil and political rights; economic, social, and cultural rights; human rights for women and children, Persons with disabilities, youth, and the elderly; education and capacity building in the field of human rights. The Strategy defines in each axis the prominent strengths, opportunities, related challenges, and finally the targeted results.

The Members of Parliament commended the initiative to prepare the draft strategy. The session witnessed a constructive and open dialogue regarding their observations and proposals on the draft. The MPs discussed and reflected upon a number of important issues related to the promotion of human rights. For his part, Ambassador Alaa Rushdie affirmed that the Strategy is the beginning of a new phase of strategic planning in the field of promoting human rights, and that some issues need to be discussed with various relevant parties, including the Human Rights Committee in the House of Representatives, civil society and the National Council for Human Rights, with the aim of identifying the best means to deal with them.

It should be noted that the Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs - established in 2018 by decision of the Prime Minister, with the aim of developing and following up the implementation of an integrated approach to promoting respect and protection of human rights - has taken over the leadership of the preparation process for the Strategy, which began in 2020. The Committee enumerated future plans, programs and activities related to human rights in coordination with all ministries and concerned parties; while studying national action plans and strategies already adopted in various fields to achieve their cohesion with the Strategy. This can be achieved through building on the objectives, programs and activities of these action plans and strategies with the aim of achieving cohesion from a comprehensive human rights perspective. During the preparatory phase, the Supreme Committee was keen to study the national human rights strategies and action plans of a number of countries, with the aim of identifying best practices and relevant experiences. The Committee also enumerated, classified, and studied the final recommendations Egypt received from international and regional human rights mechanisms, as well as the recommendations of the National Council for Human Rights, and the status of their implementation, in coordination with all ministries and relevant authorities.