EUSR for Human Rights Arrives in Egypt

EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Human Rights Olof Skoog visited Egypt from 4 to 5 November 2024. 

The visit was a follow-up mission to the visit of EUSR Eamon Gilmore in April 2022, and comes in the context of a deepened partnership between Egypt and the EU.

Egypt has set forth an important human rights agenda. Ongoing reforms as well as concrete and credible steps - short and medium term – were discussed based on Egypt’s own commitments. 

Such existing commitments include national legislation, international human rights conventions, the National Human Rights Strategy, National Dialogue and recommendations accepted in the context of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Throughout the visit, the EUSR has underscored the EU’s readiness to accompany Egypt in ensuring that human rights underpin ongoing legislative processes, and encouraged meaningful consultations with all stakeholders. The Criminal Procedures Law was discussed in this context. The EUSR acknowledged the work done to modernize detention centres to fulfil international standards and highlighted the need to fully safeguard the rights of persons in detention. 

He further encouraged new releases in line with the positive work undertaken under the auspices of the Presidential Pardon Committee. Nobody should be detained for exercising their legitimate rights.

EU-Egypt cooperation in multilateral fora will be a central element in advancing the strengthened partnership. Moreover, Egypt’s engagement with Charter and treaty based bodies was discussed. The EUSR enquired about Egypt’s commitments under the ongoing UPR round, including reducing the number of crimes punishable by death penalty.

Anti-discrimination, including amending the Personal Status Law and Labour Law, as well as legislative reforms related to all forms of violence against women and girls were discussed with interlocutors in addition to freedom of religion and belief. The EUSR also sought updates on the Foreigners’ Asylum Law. He expressed solidarity with the difficult regional context, and emphasized the importance of advancing all generations of rights, including social, economic and cultural rights.

During his mission, the EUSR met with Minister for Foreign Affairs and Migration, Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Justice Adnan El Fangari, Minister of Parliamentary, Legal Affairs and Political Communication Mahmoud Fawzy, and Minister for Social Solidarity Maya Morsy. He further met with Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights, International Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Khaled el-Bakly and Assistant Minister of Interior of Human Rights Major General Manal Atef, Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives Tarek Radwan, as well as Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Senate, Mohamed Heiba.

As always, extensive consultations were held with civil society organizations, human rights defenders and journalists. Important discussions also took place with the Head of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) Moushira Khattab. The EUSR also met with individual parliamentarians, UN representatives and the Heads of EU Missions in Cairo.

The EUSR is looking forward to regular exchanges with Egypt on human rights issues. “This was only a first of hopefully many conversations. I appreciated the frank dialogue, and the EU stands ready to accompany Egypt on its path towards achieving its national commitments in the field of human rights,” the EUSR underscored.