In a recorded message delivered during the Council’s high-level segment on 24 February, Abdelatty said Egypt was proud to begin its new term and remained firmly committed to strengthening human rights at the national and international levels.
The foreign minister said the current session convenes amid escalating global challenges, including regional conflicts and growing international polarization, which he described as a real test for the rules-based international order.
He stressed that the credibility of the international human rights system depends on the consistent and non-selective application of international law, adding that respect for human rights is essential to achieving peace, stability, and sustainable development.
Turning to the situation in Gaza, FM Abdelatty referred to Egypt’s hosting of the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit last October, which he said ended the aggression on the Strip.
He underscored the need to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access and accelerate early recovery and reconstruction projects, while calling for an end to what he described as ongoing grave violations against the Palestinian people, including in the West Bank.
Abdelatty also emphasized the importance of preserving the Council as a platform for dialogue and cooperation, free from politicization and polarization, to enhance its ability to carry out its mandate objectively and efficiently.
Reviewing Egypt’s domestic efforts, he said that under the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the government has worked to strengthen institutional and legislative frameworks, entrench the principles of citizenship and non-discrimination, and engage constructively with international and regional human rights mechanisms, particularly the Universal Periodic Review.
He added that these efforts support the implementation of Egypt’s National Human Rights Strategy and preparations for a second strategy, alongside integrated initiatives to promote economic, social, and cultural rights, with a focus on women, youth, children, and persons with disabilities.
He also highlighted the launch of a national dialogue and the activation of the Presidential Pardon Committee.
Concluding his remarks, Abdelatty stressed the close link between human rights and the right to development, pointing to structural challenges facing many developing countries.
He called for enhanced capacity-building and continued constructive cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, while urging a rebalancing of the Council’s work through a comprehensive and objective approach to human rights.
The UNHRC is the United Nations’ main intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally. Established in 2006 by the UN General Assembly, it replaced the former Commission on Human Rights and is headquartered at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The Council is composed of 47 member states elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms on a regional basis. It holds three regular sessions annually, in March, June, and September, alongside special sessions to address urgent human rights crises.
Its core functions include adopting thematic and country-specific resolutions, mandating independent experts and Special Rapporteurs, and overseeing the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.
Under the UPR, all UN member states undergo a peer review of their human rights records approximately every four to five years, receiving recommendations from fellow states and reporting on their implementation in subsequent cycles.
The mechanism is widely regarded as one of the Council’s central accountability tools.
Egypt was elected to a new term on the Council beginning in 2026. As a member, Cairo will participate in negotiations and voting on resolutions, engage in interactive dialogues with UN experts, and contribute to discussions on thematic issues such as the right to development, economic and social rights, and the protection of vulnerable groups.
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