Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2396 for the year 2018 : Establishing the Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights

The Prime Minister,

After reviewing the Constitution;

The Presidential Decree No. 269 for the year 2018 forming the government;

The Decree of the Prime Minister No. 37 for the year 2015 forming a national standing committee concerned with the Periodic Review mechanism before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and its amendments;

The Decree of the Prime Minister No. 884 for the year 2017;

The Decree of the Minister of Justice No. 6445 for the year 2003 forming the Principal Committee at the General Department of Human Rights Affairs and its amendments;

The directives of the President of Egypt;

And after the approval of the Cabinet; 

DECIDED

Article One

Establishing a Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights in charge of managing the mechanism of dealing with the human rights file and to respond to any allegations raised against Egypt concerning human rights, referred to in this Decree as “the Committee”.

Article Two

The Committee will be formed headed by the Foreign Minister or his delegate. The Committee members will include a representative of each of the following ministries and authorities, provided that their level is not less than Excellent Level or equivalent:

• Ministry of Defense
• Ministry of Social Solidarity
• Ministry of Justice
• Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
• Ministry of Interior
• The General Intelligence Agency
• The Administrative Control Authority
• The National Council for Women
• The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood
• The National Council for Disability Affairs
• The State Information Service Agency
• The Public Prosecution

The Foreign Minister, upon chairing the Committee meetings, may call upon any of the ministers and heads of the mentioned bodies for its membership.

The Committee may also seek the assistance of those experienced in the field of human rights, without their vote being counted in the deliberations.

Article Three

The committee, after coordinating with the parties concerned, will undertake the following tasks:

• Developing and following up the national strategy for human rights and the action plans to be implemented by the authorities concerned. In addition, forming a unified Egyptian vision expressed in international and regional forums, and following up the implementation of the action plan supporting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• Following up Egypt’s implementation of its international commitments arising from the provisions of the relevant international agreements and protocols. In addition, recommending the necessary legislative measures and procedures and following up the procedures undertaken for their implementation.
• Monitoring, studying and addressing the problems associated with human rights in Egypt which are raised globally. In addition, preparing the responses to the raised allegations and communicating with the parties concerned in order to disseminate and publish them.
• Preparing Egypt’s file to be presented in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and following up the implementation of the recommendations accepted by Egypt in the periodic review process and proposing the necessary solutions for their implementation.
• Developing policies, programs and plans to raise awareness and build capacity in the field of human rights, along with preparing research, studies and media awareness campaigns. And encouraging the efforts exerted to raise the standard of the national calibers in charge of implementing the provisions of relevant international agreements, ensuring their observance. In addition, enhancing the national capabilities by overcoming the obstacles that hinder the activation of their rulings along with preparing training and capacity building programs for the employees of the entities concerned.
• Preparing a central data base by coordinating with the national research centers and national councils specialized in data and information collection and expertise related to their field of work.
• Activating the cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies as well as with relevant states and international governmental organizations in order to obtain available forms of technical and financial support to assist the Egyptian Government in the field of institutional capacity building and training on human rights.
• Cooperating with international, regional and counterpart entities for the exchange of experience and expertise according to the rules stipulated in the cooperation protocols signed with them.
• Preparing the annual report on the national efforts in all aspects related to human rights promotion.
• Recommending the laws and legislative amendments associated with human rights support and promotion.

Article Four

The Committee convenes at least once every month based on an invitation extended by its chairman and whenever it is deemed necessary.

In order to undertake its jurisdiction, the Committee will form specialized working groups from its members or otherwise to whom some significant matters will be assigned. Those groups will submit reports including the findings of their work in order to present them to the Committee.

Article Five

The Committee Chairman will be in charge of handling its affairs and taking the necessary decisions to achieve the objectives for which the Committee is formed along with recommending the general policy which the Committee will adopt; also representing the Committee before the national and international entities. The Chairman will also be in charge of issuing the technical, financial and administrative decisions associated with the Committee’s work.

 Article Six

The Committee will have a Technical Secretariat, whose work is undertaken by the Human Rights and International Human and Social Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Technical Secretariat may seek the assistance of an adequate number of diplomats, legal, technical and administrative experts and specialists in the field of the Committee’s work, who are selected by the Committee Chairman through assignment, secondment or contracting according to the applicable laws and regulations in this regard.

A decree will be issued by the Committee Chairman determining the jurisdictions of the Technical Secretariat and its work progress rules. The Chairman may assign the Head of the Technical Secretariat or any of its members to undertake specific tasks.

The Ministry of Planning, Follow-up and Administrative Reform will be in charge of providing a suitable headquarter for the Committee’s Technical Secretariat whenever possible in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Also, the Ministry of Finance, in coordination with Committee Chairman will provide the appropriate financial allocations necessary for the Committee and its Technical Secretariat to undertake their jurisdictions. 

Article Seven

The Decree of the Prime Minister No. 37 for the year 2015 and the Decree of the Minister of Justice No. 6445 for the year 2003 referred to, will be cancelled. Also any matter violating the provisions of this Decree will be cancelled. Till the issuance of the Committee Chairman’s decision to commence its work, each of the Principal Human Rights Committee at the Ministry of Justice and the National Committee concerned with the Periodic Review mechanism before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will continue undertaking the Committee’s jurisdictions according to the decrees regulating its work.

Article Eight

This Decree will be published in the Official Gazette, and will be enforced on the day following its publication date.

Issued at the Cabinet on 6, Rabi Al Awwal, 1440 (AH)

Corresponding to November 14, 2018 (AD)

Prime Minister 

Dr. Mostafa Kamal Madbouli

Deposit No. at the National Library and Archives of Egypt No. 65/2018,

The General Department of El Amiria Press Affairs 25349/2018-14/11/2018-1309