The Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs and the General Coordinator of the National Dialogue review strengthening political participation and human rights in Egypt
The Egyptian Permanent Mission in Geneva organized a side event, on Thursday, December 5, 2024, with the participation of Counselor Mahmoud Fawzi, Minister of Parliamentary, Legal Affairs and Political Communication of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Diaa Rashwan, General Coordinator of the Egyptian National Dialogue, as key speakers and Ambassador Alaa Hegazy, Ambassador. Egypt and the head of the mission, under the title “ Strengthening political participation in Egypt and human rights, within the framework of keenness to shed light on the Egyptian experience in the field of human rights, especially in the fields of civil and political rights, and with the aim of enhancing positive interaction with international partners.
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The event attracted wide attention from heads of state delegations and offices of relevant UN bodies in Geneva, where a number of representatives of countries participated in it, in addition to representatives of bodies.
During his opening speech, Minister Mahmoud Fawzi, Minister of Parliamentary, Legal and Political Affairs and Political Communication, affirmed Egypt’s commitment, as an integral member of the relevant international system, to protecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms. . Egypt is going through a continuous process of modernization and development over the past decade in all political, economic and development sectors, with the aim of promoting human rights in their comprehensive sense. His Excellency reviewed the main developments in the fields of civil and political rights in Egypt, the most prominent legislation, the national dialogue mechanism and its recommendations.
In connection with the legislative development, the Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs and Political Communication affirmed that the constitution The Egyptian Constitution is classified among the advanced constitutions in the field of rights and freedoms, and the Egyptian state is committed to implementing its provisions and the provisions of international and regional treaties to which it is a party.
In this context, he reviewed a number of new laws and legislative amendments that aim to enhance the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with Egypt’s international obligations. The Minister reviewed the law Which allows appeals against rulings issued by criminal courts in a way that enhances fair trial guarantees, in addition to amending some provisions of the Prison Organization Law to reflect modern penal philosophy, the Egyptian Nationality Law, which guarantees equality between the sexes, and the Foreigners’ Asylum Law, which guarantees clear rights for them and prevents Forcibly deport them or return them to countries where they may face danger, in addition to guaranteeing their right to education, ownership, health care, and the practice of religious rituals, and other rights.
The Minister also discussed the new draft law on criminal procedures and what it includes in reducing the maximum periods of pretrial detention and expanding the scope of application of its alternatives, as well as guaranteeing the right to material and moral compensation. About wrongful pretrial detention.
He also touched on the law on practicing private work, the National Alliance for Developmental Private Work, the executive regulations of the law regulating private work, and the law on caring for the rights of the elderly, stressing in this regard that updating the framework Legislation is a basic approach adopted by Egypt in connection with the developments of its international obligations and the implementation of the recommendations that Egypt accepted during the review of its human rights file before the periodic review mechanism. Comprehensive.
With regard to the national dialogue, Minister Mahmoud Fawzi reviewed the most important features of the President of the Republic’s initiative for the national dialogue, which he launched in April 2022 to enhance political participation as a basic pillar for achieving sustainable development. Based on the conviction of the importance of building a comprehensive political dialogue through which all the nation’s partners can freely express their opinions and contribute to formulating national policies and arranging work priorities. His Excellency also highlighted the most important electoral elections that Egypt witnessed during the last ten years and the rates of participation by political parties, as well as the rates of citizens’ participation in voting processes within Egypt and abroad.
His Excellency also highlighted the decision of the President of the Republic to activate the Presidential Pardon Committee and expand its work, confirming For an atmosphere of openness and political will to reconsider the files of convicts who meet the conditions for amnesty in accordance with the Constitution, noting that in recent years, the number of individuals who have been released has reached thousands of convicts.
Minister Mahmoud Fawzi concluded by affirming Egypt’s determination to expand and deepen its national efforts to promote and protect human rights, despite the challenges it faces in its regional environment, which burden Egypt. Double.
He also reaffirmed that the stability of a country the size of Egypt is stability for all countries in the region and Europe, and that this stability could not have been achieved as a result of coincidence or without material and human costs. He stressed that the process of evaluating any situation requires a comprehensive view that encompasses all its elements, without focusing on part of the picture and neglecting the overall picture and the surrounding circumstances. He also expressed Egypt’s aspiration to support all friendly countries and partners in their sincere efforts to protect and promote the human rights of the Egyptian citizen.
For his part, Mr. Diaa Rashwan, General Coordinator of the Dialogue The Egyptian National Dialogue delivered a speech in which he reviewed the Egyptian experience in the national dialogue, noting that it represents an unprecedented platform for enhancing national understanding between the various political spectrums. And social.
He added that the national dialogue aims to achieve a balance between rights and freedoms on the one hand, and the requirements of development and stability on the other hand by finding consensual solutions that are consistent with the challenges facing the state in The areas of security, stability and development. Taken to achieve security and stability, and provide a strong infrastructure that helps attract investments. He stressed that the national dialogue is one of the most important tools for enhancing political and social stability in Egypt, and contributes to building a brighter future.
Mr. Diaa Radwan was also keen to review the mechanisms of the work of the national dialogue, starting with From the formation of the Board of Trustees and the jurisdiction of the committees under its umbrella, as well as the most important topics on the agenda of the National Dialogue, especially those presented within the framework of the Committee on Human Rights and Public Freedoms, noting that the National Dialogue witnessed broad participation from all political parties. And societal components, reflecting everyone’s commitment to working together for the future of Egypt. He added that the reform process, by its nature, takes a long time, and that the national dialogue is a continuous reform process that develops according to the internal and external developments taking place in Egypt. He also stressed that protecting and promoting the rights of the Egyptian citizen is at the heart of the Egyptian state’s interest in achieving stability and development. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss the topics raised, and raise their questions about the government’s role in promoting human rights and political participation in Egypt. The attendees praised the steps taken by Egypt to enhance national dialogue and political participation, while affirming their support for Egypt to continue these efforts to ensure the promotion of human rights and support the democratic process.
