The memorandum mentioned that, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution No. 3379 on November 10, 1975, deeming “Zionism a form of racism and racial discrimination,” in a circumstance in which the struggle of the Palestinian Arab people for their right to self-determination received great respect, especially after the liberation of many of the peoples and countries of Asia and Africa from colonialism. This followed the issuance of Resolution No. (1514) of the United Nations General Assembly, ending colonialism in the year 1960. The issue of Palestine, recognized by international governmental and non-governmental circles, became an issue of national liberation for the people who suffered from occupation, but the United Nations, in a dangerous precedent, canceled this decision on December 16, 1991, contradicting the data it relied on when it made this historic decision.

The memo explained that, the reason for retreating from describing the nature of racist Zionism is due to the imbalance of power at the global level. The dissolution of the socialist bloc, the dominance of the United States in international relations, and its exclusiveness in international resolution, which left a double negative impact on the Palestinian Arab people, victims of racist discriminatory policies on the one hand. It negatively influenced the issue of international peace and security on the other hand, especially since there are legitimate doubts that accompanied the cancellation of Resolution (3379) on the part of all peace-loving forces that support the rights of peoples to self-determination, especially those that know the truth about racist Israeli practices in Palestine.

  This dangerous development in the international situation, at that time, and on the eve of the repeal of Resolution (3379), did not prevent the global human rights movement and supporters of peace and liberation from continuing their struggle to support the Palestinian Arab people. They offered all forms of solidarity and demonstrated the truth of racist, arrogant practices, with awareness that this unprecedented step, taken by the United Nations, took place in an ambiguous circumstance. The United Nations contradicted itself, at a time when the world was witnessing Israel’s racist approach, and the high pace of settlement operations, deportations, annexation of lands, and the systematic evacuation of the population to eliminate the Palestinian presence, in contravention of international legitimacy and its resolutions, including Security Council Resolutions (242) of 1967 and (338) of 1973. These resolutions explicitly declare “the necessity of Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories, as contemporary international law does not permit the annexation of territories by force”. In addition, the Security Council considered the Knesset’s decisions to annex Jerusalem and the Golan to be invalid. The International Court of Justice had previously decided in 2004 that the construction of the “segregation wall” (the apartheid wall) was invalid, and ordered its dismantling and compensation for those affected by its construction.

In Addition Memo noted that, Israel is still disavowing United Nations resolutions, especially Resolution (181) of 1947 and Right of Return Resolution (194) of 1948. In addition to a package of other resolutions condemning its racist practices and denial of the rights of the Palestinian Arab people. This is something that Israel and the forces behind it faced in the “Durban International Conference” (South Africa) regarding racism in 2001, in which about 3,000 international human rights and humanitarian organizations condemned Israel’s racist practices.

  Regarding to that, what prompts us to address this message to you is that Israel declares, day and night, that its political doctrine is Zionism, and that based on the doctrine it has been carrying out the aggression today against Gaza for 8 months. The brutality that the entire world witnessed and expressed sympathy for the humane victims, as more than 170,000 people are killed or wounded. In addition, vital facilities, infrastructure, schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, and places of worship were destroyed, and medical teams and relief teams were targeted, in addition to cutting off water, food, medicine, electricity, fuel, and the most basic components of human life.

 The Memo explained that, more than two million Palestinian people are exposed to an unprecedented human catastrophe in a brutal genocidal war. It uses the most heinous types of crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed. This violates the rules of international humanitarian law, especially the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their annexes the Geneva Protocols of 1977, the first on the protection of Victims of international armed conflicts; the second relates to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts.

  These new and old practices make Israel a rogue state and outside international law. Indeed, they stand blatantly in opposition to the United Nations Charter, which recognizes the right of peoples to self-determination, as well as respect for human rights, which is a topic that cannot be ignored. It relates to the core of Israel’s political doctrine, which puts it in the dock, as well as its political and military leaders, according to the decisions of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

The Memo showed, The world has begun to realize greatly, including some American and European Jews and many Western circles, especially students and youth movements , the danger of Zionism to the civilized world. In fact, the belief has begun to expand, according to the legal standard, that Zionism is a new form of racism and the apartheid system, which no longer exists as a political system in the world after the end of the apartheid South African regime, except in Israel. This is reflected in the rise in the score of the State of Palestine. (143) countries recently voted and recognized its right to be a full member of the United Nations, which led to an expansion of the scope of international recognition for it, as happened when Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognized it, as if it was a reaction to the practices of Zionist racism.

  The Memo noted that, We, as Arab intellectuals, jurists, and peace advocates, start from the humanitarian and human rights values ​​that we believe in, and are shared by intellectuals, jurists, and peace advocates from various parts of the world. I call on you, by virtue of your responsibilities, to review previous General Assembly resolutions, including reversing Resolution (3379), which considers Zionism a form of racism and racial discrimination.

The genocidal war carried out by the Israeli authorities in cold blood and without any legal, moral, religious or humanitarian consideration confirms the necessity and even the legitimacy of such a humanitarian demand that confirms the reality of racist practices and the political doctrine that justifies them.

 According to that, Memo confirmed that,  We will work collectively and individually with organizations, forces, cultural groups, countries, governments, and everyone who believes that Zionism is a new face of racism embodied in the Israeli practices on which it has been based since 1948 until today. To achieve this goal we will seek to achieve more solidarity with the Palestinian Arab people, so that they have self-determination, establish an independent and viable national state with Al-Quds as its capital, the return of refugees, and compensate the injustice and damage suffered, and the devastation that befell the people for more than three-quarters of a century. This major international responsibility falls on the United Nations and all the influential powers.

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Egyptian society is witnessing many challenges and problems due to social and economic changes and tremendous technological development, the most dangerous of which is the collapse of the family and a threat to the cohesion and stability of the entire society, a waste of state resources and a certain loss of any efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development and raising the quality of life of the Egyptian citizen.

The Strategic Forum for Public Policies and Development Studies “Draya” issues a detailed report that monitors the reality of the significant increase in divorce rates, highlights its causes and repercussions, as well as the efforts of the Egyptian state to confront this phenomenon, and finally provides some recommendations through which divorce rates can be reduced and the family Egyptian can be preserved.

First: Indicators of divorce in Egypt

According to the Analytical Report of the Annual Bulletin of Marriage and Divorce Statistics in 2021 issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, the number of divorces recorded a huge increase compared to 2020, reaching 14 .7%, with the number of divorces in 2021 reaching about 254 thousand and 777 cases in 2021, compared to 222 thousand and 36 cases in 2020.

Final divorce judgments also jumped by 38.4%, reaching 11,194 in 2021, compared to 8,086 in 2020, and the number of divorce certificates increased by 13.9%, reaching 243,583 in 2021, compared to 213,950 in 2020.

Figure No. (1) Shows the evolution of divorce cases during the period (2017-2021)

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

Divorce rates are higher in urban than in rural areas

According to the report, divorce rates in urban areas are higher than in rural areas. From 2017 to 2021, the data showed an increase in urban divorce rates from 2.7 per a thousand of the population in 2017, then reached a state of stability during the years 2018, 2019, 2020, to record 2.9 per a thousand of the population and then increased in 2021 to reach 3.3 per a thousand of the population..

The divorce rate in the countryside also recorded a state of stability during the years 2017 and 2018, reaching 1.6 per a thousand of the population, then it rose to 1.8 per a thousand of the population in 2019, then decreased in 2020 to reach 1.7 per a thousand of the population, and then increased in 2021 to reach to 1.9 per a thousand of the population.

Figure No. (2) Shows the evolution of divorce cases in rural and urban areas during (2017-2021)

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

The relative stability in divorce rates in the period from 2017: 2019 may be due to the state of economic stability witnessed by the Egyptian state in that period until the Corona pandemic and its repercussions occurred, which led to a rise in divorce rates again in 2020 and reached its peak in 2021, while the reasons of the rise in divorce rates in urban areas may be different from those in the countryside due to the different status of women in urban areas where they can work and rely entirely on their income, as well as the adherence of rural societies in general to customs and traditions and the negative view of divorced women that reduce their position in society.

 One divorce case every two minutes. And newlyweds make up the largest percentage of divorce cases

Statistics indicate that there is a divorce case every two minutes, while 29 divorces occur every hour in 2021, compared to 23.7 divorces in 2017, with an average increase of 5.4 cases per hour..

According to Statistics Authority data, the average age of divorce for males is approximately 39-40 years, while the average age of divorce for females is approximately 32-33 years

Intermediate degree holders are the highest in divorce rates

The highest divorce rate for males was recorded among those with an intermediate degree, where the number of divorce certificates reached 87,404, or 35.5%, while the lowest divorce rate was recorded among those with a higher university degree, where the number of divorce certificates reached 338, or 0.1% of the total divorce certificates.

The highest divorce rate for females was recorded among those holding an intermediate degree, as the number of divorce certificates reached 79,871 at a rate of 32.8%, while the lowest divorce rate was recorded among women with a higher university degree, where the number of divorce certificates reached 253, or 0.1% of the total certificates.

Cairo the highest divorce rates, and Assiut the lowest

Cairo topped the republic’s governorates in high divorce rates for the year 2021, reaching 5.4 per  a thousand of the population, after it was 4.7 in 2020, followed by Alexandria governorate at a rate of 4.1 per a thousand of the population, and then Port Said at 3.8 per a thousand of the population.

Assiut governorate recorded the lowest divorce rates, at 1.1 per a thousand of the population, followed by Minya at 1.3 per a thousand of the population.

Figure (3) shows the divorce rates for the governorates of the Republic in 2021

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

Khula records the highest percentage of divorce rulings

Divorce due to khula recorded the highest percentage, reaching 9,197 divorce rulings at a rate of 82.2%, followed by divorce due to abuse, while the divorce due to the husband’s imprisonment recorded the lowest percentage in the final divorce rulings, reaching only three rulings, at a rate of 0.03% of the total final divorce rulings.

These data reflect the need to change some personal status laws to be more equitable to women. These flawed laws often prevent women from obtaining their full rights through divorce, which makes women seeking divorce as a last resort to obtain divorce, even if they have given up most of their rights.

Second, the reasons for the high divorce rates

1-Economic pressures and burdens

The economy is one of the biggest influences on social relations. The low income, increased financial burdens and lack of commitment to spending are the reasons for family disputes that end in divorce.

2- The Prevalence of social media: Social media is an effective factor in the formation of social and marital relationships, as it is the most decisive means currently affecting the lives of individuals, and many studies have indicated that these means were the main cause of infidelity incidents.

3- Domestic violence: Domestic violence is one of the most important causes that lead to divorce. It is not linked to a specific social class and occurs in various environments. This phenomenon has recently increased and led to many murders of husbands and wives.

4- Cultural and social differences: differences between the two parties, such as those related to upbringing, thinking and education, lead to the inability to understand between the spouses and end in divorce and the disintegration of the family.

5- Decreased ability to take responsibility for the newer generations: Recent studies indicate that the new generations do not have the appropriate emotional balance or the ability to take responsibility because their families meet all their requests without discussion, in addition to ignorance of the provisions of divorce.

 Third: The Egyptian state’s efforts to curb the increase in divorce rates

1- The National Project for the Development of the Egyptian Family: The project was launched with the aim of improving the quality of life of the Egyptian family, preventing it from disintegration and helping it achieve cohesion among them.

“2-”Mawaddah” project: This project was launched by the Ministry of Social Solidarity with the aim of qualifying persons who are about to marry of both sexes and preparing them to start a successful married life, through psychological, health, social and legal rehabilitation and awareness of ways to assume the responsibilities of marriage, concepts of reproductive health and positive education for children

3-Establishment of a “Lam Al Shaml” (reunion)” unit: Al-Azhar Center for Electronic Fatwas created “Lam Al Shaml” (reunion)” unit with the aim of protecting the Egyptian family from the danger of disintegration, settling disputes between the two parties, reducing the phenomenon of divorce, spreading community awareness and rehabilitating those who are about to marry.

3-The campaign “And treat them with kindness”: Al-Azhar launched this media campaign, which includes a group of short videos that are published on social networking sites to shed light on the most important causes of divorce and methods of treatment in an effort to reduce this phenomenon.

Fourth: Recommendations and Suggestions

1-Including materials concerned with family culture and the rights and duties of each party, in proportion to each stage of study.

2-Organizing courses or mentoring programs for married life for those who are about to get married and making them mandatory, and success in them is one of the conditions for completing the marriage.

3-Activating the role of civil society organizations in raising families’ awareness of the dangers of divorce and its negative effects on children and society, and instilling the values ​​of responsibility among individuals.

4-Expanding the establishment of psychological and social clinics to assess and follow up on those who are about to marry, especially In case of disagreements.

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Serious steps towards rapprochement

The accelerating regional and international changes have pushed to advance the course of relations between the two countries at the political and economic levels, which has taken a positive turn in early 2021, for the two countries to overcome the political dispute that escalated in 2013, and joint cooperation and the promotion of interests became imperative.

With the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the real returns on Arab investments in Western countries witnessed a noticeable decline. Hence, Egypt has become one of the best investment opportunities in the region and the world, especially as it enjoys a geographical location that represents a main gateway to African and European markets, which would establish a new Arab stage of cooperation.

In this context, the Strategic Forum for Public Policies and Development Studies “Draya” issues this report to shed light on the reality of the Egyptian-Qatari relations politically and economically, as well as exploring prospects for joint cooperation between the two countries as follows:

First: Indications of political convergence and the pivotal issues of agreement

Second: The reality of Egyptian-Qatari cooperation

1- Trade exchange between the two countries

2- Qatari investment in Egypt

Third Prospects for joint cooperation

1-   Expected Qatari investments in Egypt

2-   Major challenges to joint cooperation

First: Political rapprochement on pivotal issues

The Al-Ulla summit agreement, which was held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021 during the 41 Gulf summit meetings, reflected a great development in the reality of Arab-Qatari relations in general and Egyptian-Qatari relations in particular, after diplomatic relations between the four Arab countries (Egypt – Saudi Arabia – UAE – Kuwait-Bahrain) were suspended) with Qatar as a result of disagreement over many core issues.

Egypt and Qatar inaugurated a new phase of inter-relations during which the two countries sought to activate the level of communication. A Qatari delegation visited Cairo in March 2021, followed by the visit of Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in May of the same year to deliver a written message from the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, expressing his country’s aspiration to strengthen relations with the Egyptian state.

That visit was followed by about 17 visits and meetings between the two sides, which culminated in the visit of Emir Tamim to Egypt on June 24, 2022, and the visit of President Sisi to Qatar on September 13, 2022. This positive change in the Egyptian-Qatari relations is a good indicator that establishes more economic relations between the two countries and provides cooperative horizons and long-term investment frameworks.

The main themes and issues under agreement now are as follows:

• Ceasing all contacts with the political opposition in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain
• Stop interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign countries and naturalizing wanted citizens from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain
• Reducing trade and intelligence cooperation with Iran in order to avoid interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries on the one hand, and to ward off direct and indirect US sanctions on Qatari companies operating in Arab countries on the other hand.
• Reducing military cooperation between Doha and Ankara, especially with regard to building a Turkish military base on Qatari territory, which represents a major dispute over Turkey’s incursion into the internal affairs of many Arab countries, especially Syria, Libya and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

– Qatar’s adoption of the designation of extremist groups (such as the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Fateh al-Sham “formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra”) within the list of terrorism announced by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt.

• Stop all means of support and funding for individuals, groups or organizations that have been designated as terrorist by the four Arab countries, the United States and other countries.
• Freezing the assets of terrorist figures, fugitives, and wanted individuals, while providing the required information about their residence, movements and money.

– Deepening Qatari-Arab cooperation through the involvement of financial and development institutions in the financial support granted to Arab countries that have suffered loss of life and financial losses as a result of Qatar’s policies in recent years.

Second: The reality of Egyptian-Qatari cooperation

1- Trade exchange between the two countries:

The volume of trade exchange between the two countries amounted to about $44.8 million during 2021, compared to about $25.4 million recorded in 2020, an increase of 76.4%.

As for the remittances of Egyptians working in Qatar, the data showed that they rose to $1.34 billion during the fiscal year 2019/2020, an increase of 4.3% over the previous fiscal year, while the remittances of Qataris working in Egypt amounted to $2.8 million in 2019/2020, compared to 4.9 million dollars in 2018/2019, down 43.5%.

2- Qatari investment in Egypt:

Qatar’s long-term and short-term investments have recently risen, with short-term indirect investments at the end of March 2022 amounting to about $8 billion in deposits with the Egyptian Bank, estimated at $5 billion, and stock market flows at about $3 billion.

With regard to long-term investments, they exceeded $10.2 billion and are expected to rise to about $20 billion by the end of 2022, compared to $673.3 million in 2020.

It is worth noting the diversity of Qatari investments in Egypt in many different economic sectors, especially banks, real estate and the energy sector. The most prominent of these investments are Qatar National Bank Al Ahli Egypt (QNB) and Al Diar Real Estate Company As well as the contribution of Qatar Energy Company through the Arab Refining Company with investments in the Egyptian Refining Company project.

Third: Prospects for joint cooperation

1- The expected Qatari investments in Egypt:

According to official data, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Qatar Investment Authority and Egypt’s Sovereign Fund for Investment and Development, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of ports, and a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the fields of social affairs.

Qatar announced its desire to invest $4.5 billion in Egypt, through the signing of Qatar Energy Company with ExxonMobil, an agreement for Qatar to acquire 40% of its stake in an exploration field in the Mediterranean off the Egyptian coast.

In light of the trend towards strengthening economic cooperation between Egypt and Qatar, the most important sectors of interest to both sides can be explored, as follows:

Arab investments indicate the possibility of enhancing cooperation between Arab parties to serve common interests through the sovereign funds of the Gulf States and the Egyptian sovereign fund. The sectors of energy, infrastructure, agriculture, joint manufacturing and tourism are the most important sectors of interest among all parties.

There are several indicators confirming  Qatari interest in the energy, maritime transport and ports sectors in Egypt, as Doha seeks in the coming period to direct large investments in these sectors in particular.

2-The most important challenges to joint cooperation

The data of the current scene indicates the involvement of Qatari foreign policy during the last period in destabilizing the internal stability of many Arab countries, which requires exerting more effort and Qatari cooperation to bridge the rift with these countries. Perhaps the most prominent challenges are the following:

– Extremist groups, especially the Muslim Brotherhood, have penetrated the Qatari state for decades, stretching from fifties of the last century

– Qatar’s commitments with Turkey and Iran  during the last period, perhaps the most important of which is the establishment of a Turkish military base on Qatari territory.

• – Extension of Iranian influence on the formulation of Qatari policies and influence on the trends of foreign investments in Qatar, especially Egypt and Jordan.

– Dispersing Arab efforts in ethnic and ideological conflicts without reaching an agreement and joint multilateral cooperation with international bodies that would enhance the Arab role in international politics.

-The absence of complete coordination on many important files, such as the Libyan file and the Sudanese file, may open the way for points of contention in the future.

The state of international polarization and the economic policy turmoil of the European countries and the G7 countries enhance opportunities for joint cooperation in the Arab region in particular and the Middle East and North Africa in general, as well as provide an opportunity to consolidate long-term cooperation for sovereign investment funds in the region and Southeast Asia.

The Egyptian-Qatari rapprochement on the one hand and the Qatari-Arab rapprochement on the other hand remains within the framework of the agreement on the features of the unified Arab policy towards international issues, and this cooperation is not limited only to the economic aspect as is rumored in many media platforms.

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The right of citizens to obtain appropriate health care must depend on their needs and not on their ability to pay the costs of this care, and therefore future strategies must be developed, taking into account population growth, the capabilities of the citizen and the state to achieve goals that cannot be waived for the citizen regardless of his financial ability.

This paper aims to identify the health policy in Egypt, strategies for its implementation, health sector indicators and the state’s efforts in the field of health care, and finally to present a set of proposals to activate health strategies in Egypt, through the following points:

First: Features of Egypt’s health policy

Second: Indicators on Egypt’s health sector

Third: The State’s efforts in the area of health care

Fourth: Suggestions for activating health strategies in Egypt

The paper’s results were as follows:

1- The total value of public spending on the health sector in the budget for the fiscal year 2021/2022 amounted to about 108.8 billion pounds, an increase rate of 15.3 billion pounds (or about 16%) over the allocations for the health sector in the fiscal year 2020/2021, which amounted to about 93.5 billion pounds.

2-The total number of the health insurance beneficiaries is 57 million citizens until 2020. The number of health facilities affiliated to the public and private sectors in Egypt is estimated to be about 2,034 in 2020, and the cost of developing the infrastructure and medical equipment in 18 model university hospitals, including departments and emergency hospitals, amounted to 2.7 billion pounds.

3- The cost of treating 2.9 million patients at the state’s expense at home during 2020 is estimated at about 8.9 billion pounds. The total cost spent on the presidential initiative to eradicate C virus and non-communicable diseases amounted to 3.8 billion pounds.

First: Features of the health policy in Egypt

 Health in the 2014 constitution has a comprehensive perspective and is not limited to the health sector. In many of its other articles, it deals with the roles of various sectors outside the health sector in promoting the health of the population. It also shows the necessity of addressing health issues with a multi-sectoral approach as the main driver in the process of preparing health policy in Egypt.

The health policy in Egypt is based on:

1. Coordination of policies between institutions and agencies of the health sector and other sectors whose functions and activities are related to public health.
2. Strengthening basic health care services and providing them in disadvantaged areas to meet the basic needs of all segments of society, especially mothers and children.
3. Expand the base of participation in the increasing costs of medical care.

4- Encouraging local production to meet the citizens’ needs of medicine, serums, family planning methods, and medical and laboratory supplies.

5- Developing information systems to support decision-making, preparing health plans and programs, following up on their implementation, and distributing available resources to governorates according to their needs.

6-Developing health human resources in all its categories, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and ensuring their good use and fair distribution to keep pace with successive scientific and technical developments and ensure quality performance.

Health strategies in Egypt depend on several main axes:

1. Emphasizing the right of the Egyptian citizen to health and social care as a right guaranteed to him by the constitution.
2. Commitment to national and international charters within a framework of humanitarian cooperation to serve children, women and the family

and society.

3-Positive participation in achieving the objectives of the state’s social and economic development plan

4- Emphasizing that health spending is an investment with a large income and that it is necessary to increase the share of the health sector in the state’s general budget to meet the basic health needs of the Egyptian citizen.

5-Emphasis on the fairness of specialized medical health services in the regions of Egypt, and the provision of basic health services to deprived areas, in order to facilitate the citizen and implement the directions of the state in the next stage.

The general strategy for the health sector is:

1. Coordination and integration between ministries whose activities are related to public health to ensure raising the health level of the community.
2. Raising the level of primary health care services preventively, curatively, and educationally, and achieving horizontal expansion in the provision of integrated services, especially in urban sprawl areas.

3-Increasing financial resources for the provision and development of health services, and directing available resources through international agreements to support preventive services and address priority health problems.

4. Developing curative and urgent services, including specialized accurate services, and providing them at the regional level.
5. Expanding health insurance services to cover new categories and developing service delivery systems.
6. Expanding geographically the system of medical institutions to recover all or part of the expenses of the medical service.

7-Encouraging the role of civil and voluntary institutions and the private sector to complete some aspects of health plans.

8. Raising community awareness of its positive role in maintaining the health of its members.
9. Increasing interest in applied scientific research to benefit from its results in developing the health service, such as: health systems research, applied research and operations research to identify and analyze service performance problems, choose the most appropriate solutions, and evaluate their efficiency and effectiveness.

10 – Expanding the use of survey methods and indicators of disease prediction, especially among vulnerable groups, and quickly take the necessary measures to control them.

11- Improving the method of planning the development of manpower working in the health sector and linking the educational process to the needs of society

Second: Indicators on the health sector in Egypt

The health system in Egypt is characterized as one of the complex systems where there are multiple providers of health services, and is also characterized by multiple sources of funding, management and service.

The latest statistics of the Information and Decision Support Center of the Council of Ministers indicate that the total value of public spending on the health sector in the budget for the fiscal year 2021/2022 amounted to about 108.8 billion pounds, an increase of 15.3 billion pounds (or about 16%) over the allocations of the health sector in the fiscal year 2020/2021, which amounted to about 93.5 billion pounds, and the total number of beneficiaries of health insurance is 57 million citizens until 2020.

The number of health facilities affiliated to the public and private sectors in Egypt was estimated in 2020 to be about 2,034, and the cost of developing the infrastructure and medical equipment in 18 model university hospitals, including emergency departments and hospitals, amounted to 2.7 billion pounds. The cost of treating 2.9 million patients at the state’s expense at home during the year 2020 is estimated at about 8.9 billion pounds. The total cost spent on the presidential initiative to eradicate C virus and non-communicable diseases amounted to 3.8 billion pounds.

The rate of doctors is 2.8 per 1000 population in Egypt,which is better than what is available in MENA and GCC countries, while the nursing rate of 2.3 per 1000 population in Egypt is equal to that of the MENA region. However, with regard to the family rate 1.3 per 1000 population, Egypt differs significantly from some MENA countries, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which requires a large amount of investment to keep pace with regional standards. In general, Egypt not only needs to invest in healthcare infrastructure, but also needs to provide comprehensive health care based on technology to improve the quality of health care in the country so that it can compete with other countries at the regional and international levels.

The health care market in Egypt is largely dominated by the government and semi-governmental sector, which includes specialized medical centers in the public sector, government agencies and other entities, such as railways, universities, etc.,include 72% of beds although the private sector represents a proportion 63% of the total hospitals, and thus the largest player in the field, but it suffers from severe disintegration with the availability of only 31 beds for each private hospital, compared to 96 beds for each government hospital and 209 beds for each semi-governmental hospital. This provides great opportunities to achieve integration with the private sector through mergers and acquisitions.

The healthcare sector in Egypt – especially the private healthcare sector – provides many profitable opportunities for developers, investors and operators. However, the sector faces many challenges, such as rising capital costs and an emigration of qualified doctors and paramedical staff.

Third: State efforts in the field of health care

In its vision for sustainable development, known as “Egypt Vision 2030″, the country was keen to ensure the quality of the provided health services, and that all Egyptians enjoy a healthy, sound and secure life, through the application of an integrated health system characterized by availability, quality, and non-discrimination, and capability of improving health indicators by achieving comprehensive health coverage for all Arab and African citizens, including Arab and African women.

The comprehensive health insurance law was issued in 2018, aiming to provide all citizens with access to high-quality health care services. Accordingly, the state worked to establish three independent bodies to manage the comprehensive social health insurance system, whereby the system’s financing, service provision, and quality control were separated.

Following the Comprehensive Health Insurance Law, Law No. 151 of 2019 was issued regarding the “establishment of the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement and Medical Supply, the Department of Medical Technology and the Egyptian Medicines Authority.”

In July 2020, a draft of the Prime Minister’s decision regarding licensing the Egyptian Authority for the Unified Procurement and Medical Supply and the Department of Medical Technology was approved to establish a joint-stock company under the name of “Egyptian Company for Medical Investments”, with the purpose of supporting the activities of the Egyptian Authority and helping it in implementing its competence. These include transporting and distributing medical preparations managed by the Egyptian Authority, in addition to managing the system of strategic warehouses established by the Authority in partnership with state agencies and entities.

The state has taken a new step in terms of comprehensive health insurance  to develop the health system and meet the medical needs of citizens in an integrated manner and at the highest level

The first phase of the “comprehensive health insurance” in all the governorates to which it is specified registered more than 5 million citizens, and about 51 hospitals and more than 310 health units and medical centers were established and developed, and more than 90 health facilities were approved. Since the launch of the system, the cost of developing the infrastructure and information in the health insurance system has so far reached more than 51 billion pounds, and more than 6 million health services have been provided, and more than 82,000 advanced surgeries have been provided in the governorates of the first phase.

The number of health insurance beneficiaries reached 57 million in 2020, compared to 50.5 million in 2014.

Accordingly, the state launched a number of family planning and reproductive health convoys in 7 governorates, as part of the “Our Days Are Better” initiative to provide family planning services and means to beneficiaries in disadvantaged villages and areas, in addition to the initiative to eliminate waiting lists under the slogan “100 Million Health” initiative, which aims To completely eliminate waiting lists for critical operations and surgeries, the estimated cost of the initiative amounted to about 6.2 billion pounds.

As well as the presidential initiative to eradicate hepatitis C and non-communicable diseases, which was launched in September 2018 and targets about 50 million Egyptian citizens. The prominent results of the initiative include checking up more than 60 m citizens whom were infected until June 2021, and the cost of the initiative amounted to about 3.8 billion pounds, in addition to the “Dignified Life” initiative, through which the state provided health services to citizens through medical convoys for the services of the elderly, children, and people with special needs free of charge in remote and areas deprived of health services at republic level.

The Egyptian state has adopted a phased plan to deal with the Corona pandemic, and the investment plan of the Ministry of Health and Population has strengthened increasing the capacity of hospitals to confront the emerging Corona virus. The state has exerted efforts to develop and equip central laboratories in the various governorates of the Republic; the most prominent of them are: Equipping 60 laboratories with all the necessary equipment and supplies to test the virus in all governorates. With regard to vaccination operations against the virus, the state has made distinguished efforts in this field.

As a result of the Egyptian efforts in the health sector, Egypt obtained an advanced evaluation at the level of the Middle East region in the Joint External Evaluation (IHR-JEE) of the International Health Regulations, which was carried out by a committee of international experts. It praised Egypt’s expertise and capabilities in the areas of public health necessary to implement the International Health Regulations.

Fourth: Suggestions for activating health strategies in Egypt

1-Achieving better and equitable health outcomes

2- Protecting and promoting health, ensuring access to basic health services for all, while protecting against the financial risks arising from spending on health.

3- Strengthening the role of the government in providing public health services.

The post Performance of the health sector in Egypt: policies and challenges appeared first on المنتدي الاستراتيجي للسياسات العامة و دراسات التنمية.

– even The  one who is familiar with such reports, which lacks the simplest rules of professionalism and objectivity, discovers the falsehood of the information, data and numbers that are not relevant to the truth. It is not the first time, and it will not be the last, in which criticism of the human rights file in Egypt has been directed in order to discredit its reputation before the international community. Although the human rights file is an internal affair that is not affected by any external pressure, it is necessary to refute these allegations and to monitor all efforts made by the state to protect and promote human rights, in a manner befitting the status of Egypt and the aspirations of its people who carried out two revolutions in 2011 and 2013 to uphold the values ​​of freedom, dignity, human and social justice.

– Among the allegations contained in the reports of some Western media and biased human rights organizations, the widespread use of the death penalty, the increase in enforced disappearances, as well as the ill-treatment of prisoners and the consideration of the recent release of prisoners as “exceptional” processes and that thousands of political prisoners are still behind bars. Through this report, we refute these suspicious allegations.

1-the death penalty

-The Egyptian legislator has established the death penalty for a number of offences which it deemed to be extremely dangerous and grave. The legislator used this punishment in four laws in Egypt: the Penal Code, the Anti-Drugs Law, the Military Judgments Law, and the Weapons and Ammunition Law.

-In the Penal Code, The Egyptian legislator decided the death penalty for a range of crimes, and among these crimes are what harms the security of the state from the outside (Articles 77 and beyond from the Penal Code), and some of them harm the security of the state from the inside (Articles 86 and beyond penalties), including What harms the security of the people.

-Egypt’s law also requires several guarantees for the death penalty ruling that reduce any possibilities of error : The death sentence must be pronounced unanimously by the Court (not by a majority of the members of the Court)and The opinion of the Mufti of the Republic must be taken (the judgement shall be invalidated if the Court renders it without taking the opinion of the mufti), and The case must be brought before the Court of Cassation to exercise its control over all elements of the judgement, whether substantive or formal, whereby the case papers are examined from its inception and reviewing the minutes of the sessions of the criminal court, including medical reports, examinations and statements of witnesses, examining the evidence and all that was contained in the papers, and ruling on its own initiative to overturn the judgment in any case of error in the law or invalidity, and if the Court of Cassation decides to overturn the judgment and re-trial again and the Court of Retrial considers The death sentence for the second time, it must also follow those procedures again, which is to take the opinion of the Mufti and issue the ruling by consensus.

– It should be noted that there are other guarantees established by the legislator for death sentences, according to Article 46 of the Law on Cases and Procedure of Cassation 57 of 1959, which included that if the judgment was issued for the death penalty in the presence of the accused, the Public Prosecution must submit the case to the Court of Cassation with its opinion in the judgment, and that Within the legally prescribed time, “sixty days.” And here the legislator considers that the death sentences handed down in his presence should be brought before the Court of Cassation without dependence on the appeal of them by the parties to the criminal case, due to the gravity of the death penalty and the keenness that the sentence conforms to the law and reality. The Public Prosecution Office presents the judgment to cassation, even if the judgment in its view is not appealed.

– Another guarantee is that the President of the Republic must ratify any death sentence issued by a court, whether military or civil, when the sentence becomes final and all means of appeal have been exhausted (it was supported by the Court of Cassation), where the Minister of Justice submits it to the President of the Republic for ratification, and the sentence is executed if The order was not issued completely pardoning the penalty or commuting the penalty within 14 days.

– Finally, after all these safeguards and controls established by the legislator in view of the gravity of the death penalty, malicious media and human rights organizations allege that death sentences are carried out on a large scale, forgetting the full commitment of the judicial authorities to the rule of law, and providing full guarantees for any accused to exercise his right to defend himself, and other Procedures are to be followed.

– Accordingly, such media platforms have deviated from the standards of objectivity and professionalism when making these allegations, which are considered an unacceptable transgression against the Egyptian judicial system and those in charge of it.

2-Increase in enforced disappearances

– it should be noted that during the events of January 2011 there were cases of disappearance of a limited number of individuals, and those numbers increased during the the country’s protests in 2012 and 2013, but the reports and communications submitted since 2014 until now are characterized by a significant lack of information, starting with the names of the alleged perpetrators of their disappearance, the exact circumstances or timing of the disappearance, or the parties allegedly committed this crime.

– Despite the lack of seriousness of doubts about the validity of many of these allegations, the National Council for Human Rights was keen to verify all complaints received about enforced disappearance, stressing that most of the cases were either presented to the Public Prosecution and imprisoned or emigrated abroad and joined terrorist organizations.

– The Ministry of Interior has repeatedly denied the existence of enforced disappearances and confirmed that only prisoners or detainees are under detention by a decision of the Public Prosecution pending cases in preparation for presenting  them to trial or releasing them, and that perhaps among those alleged for their enforced disappearance are elements who left the country to join terrorist organizations in several Arab and foreign countries, or fugitive elements who are wanted for arrest in implementation of the Public Prosecution’s decision.

– And regarding the allegations of the enforced disappearance of the researcher, “Ayman Hodhoud” before his death, all responsible authorities denied this claim, including the National Council for Human Rights, which confirmed in an official statement that the Council’s Complaints and Monitoring Committee had not received any complaints from any of his relatives that he had been subjected to enforced disappearance.

3- ill-treatment of prisoners

– Western media and some human rights organizations, in their politicized reports, deliberately promote the existence of human rights violations inside Egyptian prisons, considering the recent release of prisoners as “exceptional” operations and that thousands of “political prisoners” are still behind bars, which is beyond reasonable and exceeds the right and sovereignty of Egypt on its territory. These and other reports did not provide logical evidence confirming the validity of what is being published on the websites, nor did they indicate the extent of efforts and achievements made on the ground with the aim of creating a life and dignified treatment for all Egyptians, especially the “prisoners”.

The Egyptian state’s efforts to protect the rights of prisoners

-Those reports ignored that Egypt was among the highest in ratifying the 18 international human rights conventions, in addition to that Egypt participated in preparing and drafting the Global Charter on Human Rights in 1948, and the International Covenant on Rights Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights.

-Since the inception of the United Nations ,Egypt has also actively participated in all its human rights bodies, whether those based on the Charter of the United Nations or on the ten basic international human rights treaties, in addition to Egypt’s participation in the Universal Periodic Review mechanism (The Universal Periodic Review) UPR since its establishment by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006.

-The 2014 constitution, which is considered the most advanced in the history of Egyptian constitutions in the field of human rights and freedoms, allocates more than 125 articles that are translated into legal texts applied through the policies adopted by the State to affirm human rights in the areas of private and public freedoms, politics and sociology and economics, and Criminalization of violation of human dignity, torture and discrimination, and emphasizing all freedoms of expression, publication, creativity, belief, movement, property, work, strike and the rule of law. The state’s efforts in this context can be monitored through the following axes:

4-National Strategy for Human Rights regulates the treatment of prisoners and detainees

-National Strategy for Human Rights, launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in September 2021, laid down controls and plans for dealing with prisoners and other detainees – which are not highlighted in such malicious reports – and came as follows:

1-.It recommended the members of the Public Prosecution Office to supervise and inspect prisons, places of detention, in addition to accepting prisoners’ complaints, and examining all prison papers and records.

2- Emphasizing the continuation of development and modernization of prisons facilities and the establishment of new prisons to reduce the density within the framework of continuous improvement in the standard of living and health care of prisoners.

3- It called for the expansion of the establishment of literacy classes and the religious and cultural seminars for prison inmates in coordination with the Ministry of Endowments and the General Authority for Cultural Palaces to develop the religious and cultural aspect of the inmates.

4- it emphasized the importance of involving civil society organizations, the private sector, and government agencies in the reintegration of the released prisoners into society and providing the necessary support to them and their families.

Amendment to Prisons’ Law

-The politicized and selective reports did not address the parliament’s approval in March 2022 of a draft law submitted by the government to amend some provisions of Law No. 396 of 1956 regarding the organization of prisons, within the framework of the state’s plan to develop penal institutions in terms of their names, buildings, and management in a way that aims to consolidating the values ​​and principles of the rights of the prisoners, to provide them with societal protection, rehabilitate and integration into society, and benefit from their rehabilitation in development programs and plans by supporting the educational rights of the prisoners by completing their studies for those who have the desire and taking the exams set for them within the public reform and rehabilitation centers.

– the Amendment to Prisons’ Law comes within the framework of strengthening the concepts of human rights established by the State on 30 June, which has integrated human rights into the development process. This legislation reflects the penal institutions’ adoption of a new philosophy based on transforming traditional places of detention into exemplary places to rehabilitate prisoners in terms of the entitlement of convicts not to be punished twice for their crime, and thus aims to convert prisoners’ sentences into their period of investment in human beings.

-The opening of the correction and rehabilitation centers in Wadi al-Natrun and Badr City confirms the state’s seriousness in protecting prisoners’ rights and its keenness to reform the penal system.

-Rehabilitation and reform centers have become suitable places of detention, providing projects and handicrafts and providing education and literacy for inmates. The two centers have been built according to the finest architectural systems and the use of modern technology.

-The Human Rights Council of Egypt emphasizes that these correctional centres are part of a gradual process of closing old prisons and building modern correction and rehabilitation centres that conform to international standards. The opening of these centres constitutes the first stage in the process of comprehensive change of the concept of penal institutions in Egypt.

-It should also be noted that there are continuous visits by human rights delegations, representatives of foreign agencies and international newspapers to Egyptian prisons, in coordination with the community protection sector, to monitor the conditions of prisoners and inspect aspects of care provided to them. These visits come in an attempt by the Ministry of Interior to respond to the allegations and skepticism campaigns that are issued by some Western media outlets against the situation of prisoners in Egypt.

5- Activation of the Presidential Pardon

-In the”Egyptian family Iftar “on April 26 2022,  the president Sisi reactivated the ‘Presidential Pardon Committee’ which was formed as one of the outcomes of the National Youth conference in 2016, as it will expand its cooperation with the competent agencies and civil society.

-The re-activated committee communicated with various political parties and forces and prepared an urgent list of prisoners proposed for release, announcing that no one would be excluded except those whose killed the Egyptians, or those accused in cases of corruption, sabotage and violence against the sons and people of Egypt, provided that it expands its work base in cooperation with the competent agencies and organizations concerned civil society.

-the Ministry of the Interior announced the release of 46,000 prisoners under a presidential pardon during the period from 2014 to 2018, and 54,000 prisoners were released during the same period by the pardon of the police, and the number of prisoners released, whether by presidential or police pardon, in 2019 was 34,490 prisoners.

-in 2020 and 2021, more than 45,000 prisoners were released on various occasions and holidays, and in 2022, a presidential pardon was granted to 3,273 prisoners.

6- The president’s initiative “Prisons without debtors”

-The initiative was established under the direction of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2018, and” the Long Live Egypt” Fund paid special attention to this issue, working on: social support, health care, economic empowerment, and education and training support for those groups most in need.

-Nearly 42million pounds have been allocated to implement this initiative, in addition to the release of 6,400 cases from various prisons until 2019.

National Committee for the Welfare of Debtors

The committee was formed upon the assignment of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi amid concerns to emphasize the governance of debt repayment, and to take preventive measures to protect citizens who are unable to borrow.

The committee also aims to unify the efforts of civil and religious associations working to pay off the debts, and to prepare awareness campaigns to promote a culture of rational consumption.

On April 17 2022, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi directed the government to make a list of debtors in prisons and the provision of complete databases about them that include their geographical distribution and the reasons for the fine to determine the beneficiaries and the provision of safe mechanisms for debt, which reflects the state’s determination to find a radical solution to this phenomenon.

7- Projects and initiatives to support and protect prisoners’ families

-The Ministry of Social Solidarity attaches special importance to caring for the families of prison inmates and the released with the aim of helping them to face their economic and social problems, as well as the aftercare of the released in order to help them financially and morally to restore their status and integrate into the community framework, as well as reduce any criminal danger they may pose to the surrounding community.

-In this context, the Ministry of Social Solidarity is implementing a project to support and protect families at risk “SANAD”, which aims to provide psychological support, social rehabilitation and economic empowerment for the families of prisoners and those released with a presidential pardon through financing small or micro projects with large credit facilities.

-The “Sanad” project provides prisoners’ families with health services, in addition to exempting children from school expenses and giving them priority in obtaining cash support from the “Takafel and Karama” program implemented by the Ministry of Solidarity since 2015.

-in addition, many initiatives have been launched that enable the family to find a suitable income for it that protects it from falling into debt, such as the “Dokan Al Farha” initiative to equip the first girls with care, and lift the burden on their mothers, and the “Mastoura” program for single women and girls from the age of 21 to 60 years, where financing programs are provided to women through Nasser Social Bank to establish small projects that contribute to transforming them from receiving support, into an effective component and productive energy.

Dr. Salah Hashem

Professor of Development and Planning at Fayoum University

And President of the Strategic Forum for Public Policies and Development Studies “Draya”

The post Social Protection for Prisoners: The Egyptian Experience appeared first on المنتدي الاستراتيجي للسياسات العامة و دراسات التنمية.

– even The  one who is familiar with such reports, which lacks the simplest rules of professionalism and objectivity, discovers the falsehood of the information, data and numbers that are not relevant to the truth. It is not the first time, and it will not be the last, in which criticism of the human rights file in Egypt has been directed in order to discredit its reputation before the international community. Although the human rights file is an internal affair that is not affected by any external pressure, it is necessary to refute these allegations and to monitor all efforts made by the state to protect and promote human rights, in a manner befitting the status of Egypt and the aspirations of its people who carried out two revolutions in 2011 and 2013 to uphold the values ​​of freedom, dignity, human and social justice.

– Among the allegations contained in the reports of some Western media and biased human rights organizations, the widespread use of the death penalty, the increase in enforced disappearances, as well as the ill-treatment of prisoners and the consideration of the recent release of prisoners as “exceptional” processes and that thousands of political prisoners are still behind bars. Through this report, we refute these suspicious allegations.

1-the death penalty

-The Egyptian legislator has established the death penalty for a number of offences which it deemed to be extremely dangerous and grave. The legislator used this punishment in four laws in Egypt: the Penal Code, the Anti-Drugs Law, the Military Judgments Law, and the Weapons and Ammunition Law.

-In the Penal Code, The Egyptian legislator decided the death penalty for a range of crimes, and among these crimes are what harms the security of the state from the outside (Articles 77 and beyond from the Penal Code), and some of them harm the security of the state from the inside (Articles 86 and beyond penalties), including What harms the security of the people.

-Egypt’s law also requires several guarantees for the death penalty ruling that reduce any possibilities of error : The death sentence must be pronounced unanimously by the Court (not by a majority of the members of the Court)and The opinion of the Mufti of the Republic must be taken (the judgement shall be invalidated if the Court renders it without taking the opinion of the mufti), and The case must be brought before the Court of Cassation to exercise its control over all elements of the judgement, whether substantive or formal, whereby the case papers are examined from its inception and reviewing the minutes of the sessions of the criminal court, including medical reports, examinations and statements of witnesses, examining the evidence and all that was contained in the papers, and ruling on its own initiative to overturn the judgment in any case of error in the law or invalidity, and if the Court of Cassation decides to overturn the judgment and re-trial again and the Court of Retrial considers The death sentence for the second time, it must also follow those procedures again, which is to take the opinion of the Mufti and issue the ruling by consensus.

– It should be noted that there are other guarantees established by the legislator for death sentences, according to Article 46 of the Law on Cases and Procedure of Cassation 57 of 1959, which included that if the judgment was issued for the death penalty in the presence of the accused, the Public Prosecution must submit the case to the Court of Cassation with its opinion in the judgment, and that Within the legally prescribed time, “sixty days.” And here the legislator considers that the death sentences handed down in his presence should be brought before the Court of Cassation without dependence on the appeal of them by the parties to the criminal case, due to the gravity of the death penalty and the keenness that the sentence conforms to the law and reality. The Public Prosecution Office presents the judgment to cassation, even if the judgment in its view is not appealed.

– Another guarantee is that the President of the Republic must ratify any death sentence issued by a court, whether military or civil, when the sentence becomes final and all means of appeal have been exhausted (it was supported by the Court of Cassation), where the Minister of Justice submits it to the President of the Republic for ratification, and the sentence is executed if The order was not issued completely pardoning the penalty or commuting the penalty within 14 days.

– Finally, after all these safeguards and controls established by the legislator in view of the gravity of the death penalty, malicious media and human rights organizations allege that death sentences are carried out on a large scale, forgetting the full commitment of the judicial authorities to the rule of law, and providing full guarantees for any accused to exercise his right to defend himself, and other Procedures are to be followed.

– Accordingly, such media platforms have deviated from the standards of objectivity and professionalism when making these allegations, which are considered an unacceptable transgression against the Egyptian judicial system and those in charge of it.

2-Increase in enforced disappearances

– it should be noted that during the events of January 2011 there were cases of disappearance of a limited number of individuals, and those numbers increased during the the country’s protests in 2012 and 2013, but the reports and communications submitted since 2014 until now are characterized by a significant lack of information, starting with the names of the alleged perpetrators of their disappearance, the exact circumstances or timing of the disappearance, or the parties allegedly committed this crime.

– Despite the lack of seriousness of doubts about the validity of many of these allegations, the National Council for Human Rights was keen to verify all complaints received about enforced disappearance, stressing that most of the cases were either presented to the Public Prosecution and imprisoned or emigrated abroad and joined terrorist organizations.

– The Ministry of Interior has repeatedly denied the existence of enforced disappearances and confirmed that only prisoners or detainees are under detention by a decision of the Public Prosecution pending cases in preparation for presenting  them to trial or releasing them, and that perhaps among those alleged for their enforced disappearance are elements who left the country to join terrorist organizations in several Arab and foreign countries, or fugitive elements who are wanted for arrest in implementation of the Public Prosecution’s decision.

– And regarding the allegations of the enforced disappearance of the researcher, “Ayman Hodhoud” before his death, all responsible authorities denied this claim, including the National Council for Human Rights, which confirmed in an official statement that the Council’s Complaints and Monitoring Committee had not received any complaints from any of his relatives that he had been subjected to enforced disappearance.

3- ill-treatment of prisoners

– Western media and some human rights organizations, in their politicized reports, deliberately promote the existence of human rights violations inside Egyptian prisons, considering the recent release of prisoners as “exceptional” operations and that thousands of “political prisoners” are still behind bars, which is beyond reasonable and exceeds the right and sovereignty of Egypt on its territory. These and other reports did not provide logical evidence confirming the validity of what is being published on the websites, nor did they indicate the extent of efforts and achievements made on the ground with the aim of creating a life and dignified treatment for all Egyptians, especially the “prisoners”.

The Egyptian state’s efforts to protect the rights of prisoners

-Those reports ignored that Egypt was among the highest in ratifying the 18 international human rights conventions, in addition to that Egypt participated in preparing and drafting the Global Charter on Human Rights in 1948, and the International Covenant on Rights Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights.

-Since the inception of the United Nations ,Egypt has also actively participated in all its human rights bodies, whether those based on the Charter of the United Nations or on the ten basic international human rights treaties, in addition to Egypt’s participation in the Universal Periodic Review mechanism (The Universal Periodic Review) UPR since its establishment by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006.

-The 2014 constitution, which is considered the most advanced in the history of Egyptian constitutions in the field of human rights and freedoms, allocates more than 125 articles that are translated into legal texts applied through the policies adopted by the State to affirm human rights in the areas of private and public freedoms, politics and sociology and economics, and Criminalization of violation of human dignity, torture and discrimination, and emphasizing all freedoms of expression, publication, creativity, belief, movement, property, work, strike and the rule of law. The state’s efforts in this context can be monitored through the following axes:

4-National Strategy for Human Rights regulates the treatment of prisoners and detainees

-National Strategy for Human Rights, launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in September 2021, laid down controls and plans for dealing with prisoners and other detainees – which are not highlighted in such malicious reports – and came as follows:

1-.It recommended the members of the Public Prosecution Office to supervise and inspect prisons, places of detention, in addition to accepting prisoners’ complaints, and examining all prison papers and records.

2- Emphasizing the continuation of development and modernization of prisons facilities and the establishment of new prisons to reduce the density within the framework of continuous improvement in the standard of living and health care of prisoners.

3- It called for the expansion of the establishment of literacy classes and the religious and cultural seminars for prison inmates in coordination with the Ministry of Endowments and the General Authority for Cultural Palaces to develop the religious and cultural aspect of the inmates.

4- it emphasized the importance of involving civil society organizations, the private sector, and government agencies in the reintegration of the released prisoners into society and providing the necessary support to them and their families.

Amendment to Prisons’ Law

-The politicized and selective reports did not address the parliament’s approval in March 2022 of a draft law submitted by the government to amend some provisions of Law No. 396 of 1956 regarding the organization of prisons, within the framework of the state’s plan to develop penal institutions in terms of their names, buildings, and management in a way that aims to consolidating the values ​​and principles of the rights of the prisoners, to provide them with societal protection, rehabilitate and integration into society, and benefit from their rehabilitation in development programs and plans by supporting the educational rights of the prisoners by completing their studies for those who have the desire and taking the exams set for them within the public reform and rehabilitation centers.

– the Amendment to Prisons’ Law comes within the framework of strengthening the concepts of human rights established by the State on 30 June, which has integrated human rights into the development process. This legislation reflects the penal institutions’ adoption of a new philosophy based on transforming traditional places of detention into exemplary places to rehabilitate prisoners in terms of the entitlement of convicts not to be punished twice for their crime, and thus aims to convert prisoners’ sentences into their period of investment in human beings.

-The opening of the correction and rehabilitation centers in Wadi al-Natrun and Badr City confirms the state’s seriousness in protecting prisoners’ rights and its keenness to reform the penal system.

-Rehabilitation and reform centers have become suitable places of detention, providing projects and handicrafts and providing education and literacy for inmates. The two centers have been built according to the finest architectural systems and the use of modern technology.

-The Human Rights Council of Egypt emphasizes that these correctional centres are part of a gradual process of closing old prisons and building modern correction and rehabilitation centres that conform to international standards. The opening of these centres constitutes the first stage in the process of comprehensive change of the concept of penal institutions in Egypt.

-It should also be noted that there are continuous visits by human rights delegations, representatives of foreign agencies and international newspapers to Egyptian prisons, in coordination with the community protection sector, to monitor the conditions of prisoners and inspect aspects of care provided to them. These visits come in an attempt by the Ministry of Interior to respond to the allegations and skepticism campaigns that are issued by some Western media outlets against the situation of prisoners in Egypt.

5- Activation of the Presidential Pardon

-In the”Egyptian family Iftar “on April 26 2022,  the president Sisi reactivated the ‘Presidential Pardon Committee’ which was formed as one of the outcomes of the National Youth conference in 2016, as it will expand its cooperation with the competent agencies and civil society.

-The re-activated committee communicated with various political parties and forces and prepared an urgent list of prisoners proposed for release, announcing that no one would be excluded except those whose killed the Egyptians, or those accused in cases of corruption, sabotage and violence against the sons and people of Egypt, provided that it expands its work base in cooperation with the competent agencies and organizations concerned civil society.

-the Ministry of the Interior announced the release of 46,000 prisoners under a presidential pardon during the period from 2014 to 2018, and 54,000 prisoners were released during the same period by the pardon of the police, and the number of prisoners released, whether by presidential or police pardon, in 2019 was 34,490 prisoners.

-in 2020 and 2021, more than 45,000 prisoners were released on various occasions and holidays, and in 2022, a presidential pardon was granted to 3,273 prisoners.

6- The president’s initiative “Prisons without debtors”

-The initiative was established under the direction of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2018, and” the Long Live Egypt” Fund paid special attention to this issue, working on: social support, health care, economic empowerment, and education and training support for those groups most in need.

-Nearly 42million pounds have been allocated to implement this initiative, in addition to the release of 6,400 cases from various prisons until 2019.

National Committee for the Welfare of Debtors

The committee was formed upon the assignment of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi amid concerns to emphasize the governance of debt repayment, and to take preventive measures to protect citizens who are unable to borrow.

The committee also aims to unify the efforts of civil and religious associations working to pay off the debts, and to prepare awareness campaigns to promote a culture of rational consumption.

On April 17 2022, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi directed the government to make a list of debtors in prisons and the provision of complete databases about them that include their geographical distribution and the reasons for the fine to determine the beneficiaries and the provision of safe mechanisms for debt, which reflects the state’s determination to find a radical solution to this phenomenon.

The post Social Protection for Prisoners: The Egyptian Experience appeared first on المنتدي الاستراتيجي للسياسات العامة و دراسات التنمية.