Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies support with126 Human Rights and Civil Organizations the United Nations Secretary-General’s Initiative And call for the Genuine Inclusion of Civil Society in This Reform Process Aimed at Modernizing and Democratizing the Structures of the United Nations

Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies value with the undersigned human rights organizations, the initiative launched by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, on March 12, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations in 1945. In his statement, he pointed out that the world today is witnessing “unprecedented assaults on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as threats of the use of force—or its actual use—against sovereign states have intensified, along with violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, weaponization of food and water, and the erosion of human rights.”

The initiative criticized the selective application of the UN Charter by some actors, calling for an end to the “normalization of violations of its most basic principles” and urged the international community to “respect international law and renew its commitment to it—in word and deed.” It called for greater adaptation to “a multipolar digital world,” broader openness to civil society and youth, modernization of work methods, and the building of strong, renewed, inclusive, and interconnected multilateral dynamics adapted to the demands of the 21st century. The initiative reaffirmed the world’s commitment to international law and to the spirit and text of the UN Charter in uniting efforts for peace, justice, and progress for the peoples of the world.
This initiative aims to modernize and democratize the structures, priorities, and processes of the United Nations, ensuring that it remains cost-effective and responsive to the goals for which it was established.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, we, the undersigned human rights organizations, seek to reaffirm the values and principles of the Charter, which speaks in the name of the peoples of the world and stems from their aspiration for a world where states are equal, peace prevails, and brute force has no place. In line with the initiative of Secretary-General António Guterres, we believe that the pursuit of justice, equality, and freedom is an ongoing mission. We call for the integration and flourishing of human rights in every village, city, and country through the collaboration of all actors sharing this vision—committed to achieving a world free of corruption, poverty, hunger, disease, discrimination, tyranny, exploitation, and war. Sadly, these afflictions remain widespread in our present world, placing humanity and all its accumulated shared values under serious threat and difficult trial.

Considering the suffering humanity endured in the aftermath of the two World Wars—due to colonization and the violation of peoples’ rights and state sovereignty—and recognizing that the United Nations and its institutions, due to their structural deficiencies and imbalanced power dynamics, have only occasionally succeeded in halting or preventing such violations, the undersigned organizations call on the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to:
1. Reform the UN human rights system
Toward building a fair, effective, responsive, and efficient human rights framework that serves the interests of the world’s peoples by guaranteeing their right to self-determination and promoting peace.
2. Establish a more representative, just, equitable, flexible, and accountable multilateral international system.
In which the UN plays a central role, and sovereign states cooperate to safeguard international peace and security, achieve sustainable development, promote democracy, and protect human and peoples’ rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
3. Create democratic and participatory mechanisms.
To limit the dominance of certain major powers using their unilateral veto rights to violate peoples’ rights and maintain control over their resources.
4. Strengthen the enforceability of General Assembly resolutions.
Given that the General Assembly is more representative of the world’s states than the Security Council.
5. Establish binding mechanisms.
To ensure all states comply with and implement UN resolutions—especially those affirming the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to return, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent state.
6. Amend the executive powers currently dependent on the consensus of the five permanent members of the Security Council —particularly the veto power.

The signatories (in alphabetical order):

● International Movement for Human and Peoples’ Rights (23 organizations from 17 countries)
● Coordination for Maghreb Human Rights Organizations (include 26 HR organizations from Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya)
● Egyptian Union for Development Policies and Social Protection (48 civil society organizations and institutions)
● Palestinian Women’s Action Union
● Jordanian Federation of Independent Trade Unions
● Federation of Palestinian Women’s Action Committees
● Federation of Palestinian Working Women’s Committees
● Federation of Palestinian Women’s Struggle Committees
● Tunisian Action Horizons for Memory and the Future
● Civil Coalition for Human Rights in Jerusalem
● Global Coalition for Solidarity and Defense of Palestinian Prisoners
● Egyptian Coalition for Child Rights
● The Moroccan Coalition for Human Rights Bodies (includes 20 Moroccan human rights organizations)
● Coalition of Civil Society Forces in Syrian Kurdistan
● The Academic Assembly for the support of Palestine-Lebanon
● Cultural Rally for Democracy / Iraq
● Arab Coalition Against the Death Penalty
● Mauritania Professors Alliance
● Transparency Morocco
● Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Against Normalization
● Jordanian Women’s Union Association
● Ishraqa Society for Community Development – Alexandria – Egypt
● The Jordan Society for Human Rights
● Bahraini Transparency Society
● Baraem Association for Social Work/Lebanon
● Mediterranean Civil Solidarity Association, Tunisia
● Tunisian Association for the Defense of Individual Liberties
● Working Women’s Association/Jordan
● Arab-European Friendship Association (France)
● Medical Association for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Abuse/Morocco
● United Iraqi Medical Society/Iraq
● Arab Political Science Association
● Lebanese Association of Democratic Jurists
● Palestinian Working Women’s Society for Development
● Moroccan Association for Human Rights
● Moroccan Association for Women Progressive
● Moroccan Association for Combating Bribery
● Women’s Economic and Social Forum (Jordan)
● Mauritanian Association for Human Rights
● I Am Human Association for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities/Jordan
● Builders of the Future Association for Development in Sharqia, Egypt
● “Bridges for Citizenship” Association, Tunisia
● Association for the Protection of Female Workers from Violence and Harassment/Palestine
● Jose Marti Association for Arab-Latin American Solidarity
● Rachel Corrie Association for Solidarity Among Peoples
● Roaa Women Association-Jordan
● Women’s Network Society for Women Support/ Jordan
● Chamoua Association for Equality/Morocco
● Qadirat Association – Tunisia
● Mothers’ School Association – Palestine
● Iraqi Human Rights Monitoring Society
● Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
● Women’s Solidarity Institute Association/Jordan
● Nile Valley Association for Development – Luxor, Egypt
● Protecting human rights defenders around the Arab world/ France
● National Bureau for Human Rights – Kuwait
● The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
● The Algerian League for Defense Human Rights
● International Association of Democratic Lawyers/USA
● Association of Women Heads of Families from Mauritania
● Iraqi Human Rights Trainers Association
● The Jordanian Network for Human Rights (includes 11 human rights organizations)
● International Network for Human Rights and Development / France
● Moroccan Democratic Network for Solidarity with Peoples
● Global Network for the Defense of the Palestinian People
● Women’s Peace and Security Network (Yemen)
● Palestinian-American Organizations Network (includes 32 American institutions)
● Syrian National Network for Civil Peace and Community Security
● Syrian Federation of Human Rights Organizations and Bodies
● Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria (CDH)
● Syrian Medical Committee/Paris
● Arab Commission for Human Rights
● The Vigilance Committee for Democracy in Tunisia / Belgium
● Human Rights Committee in Syria (MAF)
● International Council Supporting Fair Trials and Human Rights (ICSFT)
● Yemeni Council for Rights and Freedoms / Yemen
● Arab World Observatory for Democracy and Elections
● French Observatory for Human Rights/Paris
● Moroccan Observatory for Public Liberties
● Moroccan Prison Observatory
● National Observatory for the Defense of Civilian State (Tunisia)
● Hurriyat Observatory / Morocco
● Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”/Palestine
● Al-Badil Center for Studies and Research – Jordan
● Khiam Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture/Lebanon
● Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Legal Profession and the Judiciary
● Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling – Palestine
● Juzur Center for Human Rights/Jordan
● Human Rights Center for Memory and Archives/Morocco
● Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists/Jordan
● Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Studies
● Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)
● Scandinavian Institute of Human Rights/Geneva
● Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights
● International Institute for Peace, Justice and Human Rights/Geneva
● Houran Forum for Citizenship/Syria
● Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
● Forum for Democratic Renewal/Tunisia
● Forum for Dialogue and Participation for Development – Egypt
● Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice
● Sudanese National Civil Forum (includes 54 civil society organizations) / Sudan
● Morocco Alternatives Forum
● Libyan Academic Organization
● World Youth Organization/Canada
● Arab Organization for Human Rights in Libya
● The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
● Popular Aid Organization/Iraq
● Insan Organization for Rights and Liberties/Yemen
● Humanitarian Without Borders Organization/Iraq
● Freedom House Organization to defend human rights and combat slavery and its remnants/ Mauritania
● Organization for Freedom of Media and Expression – OFME – HATIM / Morocco
● Human Rights Organization in Syria – Maf
● Sawa Organization for Human Rights/Iraq
● Desert Youth Organization for Development and Human Rights / Libya
● Yemeni Organization for Defense Rights and Democratic Freedoms/Yemen
● Al-Damir Association for Human Rights – Gaza/Palestine
● Arab Foundation for Supporting Civil Society and Human Rights/Egypt
● Egyptian Female Lawyers Association for Women’s Rights
● Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Childhood Conditions
● Qader Foundation for Community Development/Palestine
● Mada Foundation for Human Rights / Iraq
● National Union of Tunisian Journalists
● National Commission for the Independence of the Judiciary/Palestine
● The International Commission for Supporting the Rights of the Palestinian People
● Sahel Organization for Defending Human Rights and Supporting Education and Social Peace/Mauritania
● Moroccan Human Rights Association