The Egyptian delegation participating in the United Nations Human Rights Council's 40th session in Geneva presented a brief report on the situation of persons with special needs in the country, highlighting the "unprecedented progress" achieved in this area. The report referred to the great attention Egypt has paid in recent years to persons with special needs, which was reflected for the first time by 11 articles guaranteeing their rights in the 2014 constitution. In January, Egypt's parliament approved a law establishing the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, which is tasked with integrating and empowering people with disabilities. The council will follow up on the execution of the country's public policy regarding the disabled; contributing to putting a national strategy to emancipate persons with disabilities in the fields of health, labor, education and others. The council is also entitled with giving its opinion on bills and decisions that relate to the council and its operations. Egypt designated 2018 the year of persons with special needs, who are estimated to number 10 million out of Egypt's population of 104 million. According to Article 81 of Egypt's 2014 constitution, the state must provide work opportunities for individuals with disabilities and allocate for them a percentage of job openings, in addition to adequately equipping public utilities and the surrounding areas for use by disabled persons. In December 2018, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced that the Tahya Misr Fund will provide an EGP 80 million donation to a new EGP 100 million investment fund for people with special needs.
