We, the undersigned organizations, are following with deep concern the recent visit of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) to Egypt in September 2025, presented as technical support for the development of a National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights. We believe that the way this visit was conducted raises serious questions about credibility and compliance with international human rights standards.
The visit consisted of two consultative meetings in Cairo: the first with international experts and institutions, including the Danish Institute for Human Rights, UNDP, UNICEF, and the European Union, and the second with a limited number of civil society organizations selected by the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR). Despite references to a “multi-stakeholder” process, no draft NAP or timeline for adoption was released, and the criteria for civil society participation were not disclosed. This gives rise to legitimate fears that participation was largely symbolic, designed to provide legitimacy to state-led processes rather than ensuring genuine and transparent inclusion of stakeholders—especially independent human rights organizations that remain systematically excluded.
The visit also comes in a broader context that, in our view, reflects a pattern of African mechanisms being used to collaborate with the Egyptian authorities in whitewashing their dismal human rights record. It followed the visit of the African Commission’s Special Rapporteur on Egypt, which drew significant criticism from rights groups, and it precedes Egypt’s review before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in October 2025. The sequencing of these engagements suggests a concerted effort to provide political cover and international legitimacy to the Egyptian government, rather than genuine support for human rights reforms or civic space.
In this regard, we stress that the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are explicit: NAPs must be developed through a broad, inclusive, and genuine consultation process that involves independent civil society, trade unions, academia, and affected communities alongside state institutions and business actors. Any approach that sidelines these groups reduces the process to a state-driven public relations exercise, undermining both the legitimacy of the NAP and NANHRI’s credibility as a regional platform mandated to uphold the Paris Principles.
By celebrating government cooperation without addressing the ongoing repression of civil society, NANHRI risks legitimizing human rights violations instead of challenging them.
We therefore call on NANHRI to:
- Reassess its methodology in Egypt and publicly clarify the criteria applied in structuring the consultations;
- Guarantee meaningful participation of independent Egyptian civil society organizations in all future stages of the NAP process;
- Reaffirm its commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and the protection of civic space in all engagements;
- Avoid allowing its technical assistance to be instrumentalized by governments seeking international legitimacy without undertaking genuine reforms.
Human rights protection cannot be achieved through official rhetoric and controlled consultations. It requires the inclusion of all voices, genuine accountability, and full transparency. Any deviation from these principles risks not only undermining the UN Guiding Principles but also enabling further repression in Egypt.
Signatories
- Committee for Justice
- HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
- Egyptian Front for Human Rights
- El Nadeem Center
- Refugees platform In Egypt-RPE
- Sinai Foundation for Human Rights
- The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
- Vuka Coalition for Civic Action
- International Service for Human Rights