The Committee for Justice (CFJ) is organizing a side event on the margins of the 59th session of the Human Rights Council, titled “From Recommendations to Reality: Monitoring Egypt’s Human Rights Commitments.”
The event aims to highlight the extent of the Egyptian authorities’ response to recommendations made during the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism and analyze the seriousness of their implementation on the ground.
The event announcement noted that the UPR mechanism represents a cornerstone of the United Nations human rights system, offering countries the opportunity to assess their human rights performance and adopt necessary reforms consistent with their international obligations. At the same time, it provides the international community with a framework to monitor progress and identify ongoing challenges.
It further explained that despite Egypt’s official rhetoric claiming openness to dialogue and reform, the reality on the ground tells a different story—one marked by continued arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, restrictions on civil society, and suppression of fundamental freedoms.
Participants in the event will discuss the most urgent priority recommendations Egypt should commit to, evaluate the Egyptian authorities’ track record in implementing previous recommendations, explore opportunities for achieving real progress in the future, and stress the need for Egypt’s commitments during the adoption of the UPR report to go beyond vague promises, including instead clear, tangible, and measurable steps addressing the most pressing human rights concerns in the country.
The event will take place on Tuesday, July 2, 2025, from 13:00 to 14:00, in Room XXV at the United Nations Office in Geneva (Palais des Nations). It will feature a number of experts and human rights defenders, including:
– Ahmed Mefreh – Executive Director of the CFJ.
– Samar Al-Hosseiny – Egyptian Human Rights Forum.
– Mohamed Lotfy – Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)
– Ahmed Attallah – Egyptian Front for Human Rights.
– Nada Nashaat – The Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA).
– The discussion will be moderated by Moataz El-Fegiery – Euro-Med Human Rights.
This event constitutes a prompt and direct response from independent civil society to the official commitments that the Egyptian government may announce during the UPR report adoption. It will include testimonies from victims of violations, expert analyses, as well as practical recommendations for UN members and relevant international mechanisms.
