The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Commends Egyptian Government’s Steps to Strengthen and Protect the Rights and Freedoms System
Al-Gisr – Exclusive
In a statement, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights said that it celebrates Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 every year. This is the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, as the most prominent reference document for safeguarding human dignity and establishing the principles of freedom, equality, and non-discrimination.
The organization’s statement noted that commemorating this day, after seventy-six years, serves to reaffirm the pivotal status of the Declaration as the foundation upon which the international human rights system and subsequent conventions and treaties were built, in addition to its role as a reference framework for national legislation and policies aimed at protecting individuals and ensuring their fundamental rights.
The organization praised the tangible steps Egypt has taken in recent years to strengthen and protect the human rights system, foremost among them the National Human Rights Strategy, as it represents the first comprehensive human rights strategy, accompanied by efforts to integrate human rights principles into public policies and review relevant legislation.
Furthermore, the reactivation of the Presidential Pardon Committee led to the release of a number of individuals who met the pardon criteria, alongside reviewing terrorist lists and removing the names of many individuals to enable their reintegration into society. In the same context, the “National Dialogue” initiative was launched as a positive step toward expanding societal participation and enhancing consultation among different political and social groups.
Regarding economic and social rights, the organization commended state programs and initiatives aimed at improving citizens’ living standards, foremost among them the “Decent Life” Initiative and the “Takaful and Karama” Program, which covered approximately 5.2 million families during 2024/2025, in addition to the “New Beginning for Human Development” Initiative, aimed at supporting citizens’ economic and social development.
The implementation of 1.5 million social housing units contributed to enhancing the right to adequate housing. Public health initiatives, especially “100 Million Health” and women’s health support programs, played a clear role in improving access to preventive and therapeutic health services.
In the field of women’s empowerment and combating gender-based violence, the organization welcomed amendments to the Penal Code, the establishment of the first integrated unit for the protection of women from violence, and the launch of the National Plan to Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (2022–2026), which official data indicate has contributed to reducing FGM rates by approximately 14%.
The rights of persons with disabilities have also seen noticeable improvement, reflected in the increase in the number of inclusive students from 3,697 in 2013 to 114,157 in 2023, alongside the expansion of rehabilitation and care services.
The organization appreciates efforts to improve the legislative environment, including the issuance of the new Civil Society Work Law, which strengthened civil society freedom and regulated funding reception, and the discussion of the new Criminal Procedure Law, which is expected to bring a qualitative shift to the criminal justice system, particularly regarding pre-trial detention and fair trial guarantees. The organization also values the role of the Permanent High Committee for Human Rights, established in 2018 to coordinate national efforts in this field, alongside ongoing reforms of the penal philosophy through the closure of traditional prisons and the establishment of modern rehabilitation centers in line with international standards.
These efforts have been reflected in the improvement of Egypt’s Human Development Index, which rose from 0.751 in 2022 to 0.754 in 2023, keeping Egypt among the group of countries with high human development, surpassing the average for developing and Arab countries, despite ongoing challenges compared to the global average.
At the same time, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights affirms that promoting human rights remains a continuous path that requires building on achievements and working on several priorities, foremost among them developing fair trial guarantees, reviewing legislation related to freedom of opinion, expression, and association, and expanding the operational space of civil society organizations so that they can perform their role as a key partner in development, oversight, and legal support. The organization also emphasizes the importance of integrating human rights culture into educational and administrative institutions, developing training programs for law enforcement personnel according to international standards, and monitoring the implementation of Universal Periodic Review recommendations.
On this occasion, Counselor Essam Shiha, President of the organization, reaffirmed its firm commitment to its mission of monitoring human rights conditions, documenting violations, providing legal support to victims, and contributing to the development of legislation and public policies in line with the essence and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Protecting rights and freedoms is a shared responsibility, requiring genuine cooperation between the state, civil society, and citizens to build a society founded on justice, equality, and the rule of law.
