NCHR Delegation Meets Parliamentary Human Rights Committee

In the context of supporting institutional integration and enhancing the role of the National Council for Human Rights in monitoring and following up on the state of human rights, a delegation from the Council, headed by Dr. Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin, President of the Council, met with the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives, chaired by MP Tarek Radwan, on Monday, 4 May 2026, at the headquarters of the House of Representatives, in the presence of a number of members of both the Council and the Committee. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and integration between the two bodies, as well as mechanisms for developing the Council’s institutional performance and enhancing the effectiveness of its oversight and advisory role.

Dr. Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin reviewed the institutional and legal framework of the human rights system in Egypt, the Council’s position within it, and how the roles of all components of this system are integrated, each in accordance with its mandate. He stressed that the main challenge lies in moving from the creation of frameworks and institutions to ensuring effective implementation that is felt by every citizen on the ground.

The President of the Council pointed out that maintaining the international “A” status obtained by the Council in October of last year imposes ongoing obligations related to developing institutional performance and strengthening independence, in addition to supporting the Council’s domestic and international roles. He also stressed the importance of developing all areas of the Council’s work, including updating the complaints system and improving its efficiency, developing the Council’s media outreach, and working to ensure that its services effectively reach citizens across all parts of the country.

For his part, Mr. Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat, Vice President of the Council, affirmed the importance of the role played by the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives in supporting the Council’s budget in coordination with the Plan and Budget Committee, stressing the need to enhance the Council’s participation in the hearings held by the Committee. He also pointed to the importance of expanding cooperation with European institutions, including the Council of Europe and the European Court, in a way that contributes to developing institutional expertise in the field of human rights, in addition to strengthening the Egyptian Parliament’s engagement in frameworks of international parliamentary cooperation and parliamentary friendship associations with various countries.

For his part, MP Tarek Radwan, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives, affirmed the Committee’s full support for the Council and for strengthening its role and enabling it to fully exercise its mandate. He called for expediting the completion of the Council’s regulatory framework in a way that enhances its institutional efficiency, noting the Committee’s keenness to involve the Council in its meetings with executive authorities and in the hearings it holds with various stakeholders.

In the same context, MP Yasser Mohamed El-Hodaibi, Deputy Chairman of the Committee, affirmed the importance of close cooperation between the Committee and the Council and called for further efforts to enhance the Council’s credibility both domestically and internationally. He also called for working to strike a balance between the universality of human rights and the cultural particularities of Egyptian society. For his part, MP Mohamed Taysir Matar, Deputy Chairman of the Committee, stressed the importance of developing complaints reports to include accurate numerical and statistical data in support of decision-making, along with the need to strengthen institutional communication channels between the Council and the Committee. MP Mohamed Magdy Farid, Secretary of the Committee, also affirmed the importance of ensuring the Council’s independence and providing the necessary resources to enable it to carry out its mandate, while maintaining the regular issuance of reports and making them available to the public, in addition to intensifying awareness and education efforts on human rights within state institutions. For his part, MP Gerges Lawendy affirmed the importance of raising awareness of the Council’s role among citizens through various means of communication, especially digital platforms, in a way that enhances its presence and societal impact.

In their interventions, members of the Council affirmed the importance of moving the relationship with the Human Rights Committee to the level of an effective partnership, noting that supporting the Council requires two complementary tracks: a practical track linked to its role in following up on human rights conditions, and a legislative track through developing the Council’s law in a way that grants it broader powers enabling it to carry out its central role within the national human rights system.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin expressed his thanks to the Chairman and members of the Committee for the fruitful discussions that took place, affirming the Council’s appreciation for the role played by the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives, and that the Council will continue to develop its performance and enhance its institutional efficiency, particularly through updating the complaints system and expanding the scope of its services, in a way that achieves a more effective response to citizens’ needs.