Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the second ministerial meeting of the Permanent Higher Committee for Human Rights (PHCHR) on Tuesday. The committee, formed by a Prime Ministerial decree in 2018, is chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and includes various national bodies and specialised national councils dealing with human rights issues in Egypt. The meeting, chaired by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, focused on preparing for Egypt's participation in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of human rights in Egypt, scheduled for January 2025 at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The UPR provides an opportunity for Egypt to highlight its efforts to promote and protect human rights, as well as receive recommendations from other states to strengthen these efforts. The meeting reviewed the progress made in preparing the national report for the UPR, which was developed through a collaborative process involving all relevant ministries and bodies, extensive consultations with the Parliament and the National Council for Human Rights, civil society organisations, and an advisory group of human rights experts. The committee also discussed proposed procedures and arrangements for Egypt's participation in the UN review. These are designed to highlight the efforts undertaken at the national level to promote, respect, and protect civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights in a comprehensive manner. The approach aligns with the political leadership's directives and their emphasis on empowering women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, and the elderly to exercise their constitutional and legal rights. This is Egypt's fourth participation in the UN's UPR process, which takes place every five years. Egypt views its participation as an integral part of its interactive approach to international and regional human rights mechanisms, fulfilling its commitments under the human rights treaties it has ratified. This approach aims to strengthen national efforts to improve the overall environment for human rights and freedoms in Egypt. The committee also discussed progress in implementing the National Strategy for Human Rights and preparations for the third report monitoring the strategy's implementation. Participants agreed on the need to intensify efforts to continue implementing the National Strategy for Human Rights comprehensively, covering its four main pillars, to contribute to the advancement of human rights in Egypt. The meeting was attended by a range of government ministers, including Maya Morsi, Minister of Social Solidarity; Adnan Al-Fangari, Minister of Justice; Mahmoud Fawzi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Legal Affairs, and Political Communication; Diaa Rashwan, Chairperson of the State Information Service; Sahar Senbati, Chairperson of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood; and Sanaa Khalil, Acting Chairperson of the National Council for Women. Representatives from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and other national bodies were also present.
