In September, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi launched the National Strategy for Human Rights and declared 2022 Year of Civil Society, urging civil society to "continue working hard side by side with state institutions to achieve sustainable development in all fields."

Addressing many areas, the charter covers the ethical aspects that support development work based on a set of governing values, most notably efficiency, quality and participatory development work between the General Federation of NGOs and Foundations and the civil society institutions.

The charter highlights rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966.

One of the charter’s goals is to unify efforts of the civil society to serve target groups and coordinate between civil society organisations to ensure maximum benefit for individuals in the society.

The charter also aims to establish a database that would serve as the foundation on which all developmental initiatives will be based to ensure that services provided by civil society groups reach their beneficiaries in coordination between these groups and the state.

Hayah Karima Foundation, Bait Al-Zakat Foundation, Al-Joud Foundation, Al-Orman Charity Association, Egyptian Food Bank, Misr El-Kheir, Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation and the National Cancer Institute attended the signing of the charter.

Attendees also included representatives from the Coptic Evangelical Organisation for Social Services, Baheya Foundation, Ahl Masr Foundation, Life Makers Foundation, Raie Misr Organisation, Resala Charity Organisation, Al-Baqyat Al-Salehat Association, Egy Liver Association and Cairo University Hospitals.

Also, Elaraby Foundation for Social Development, Dr.Mostafa Mahmoud Charity Association, Sonaa Al Khair Foundation for Development, Care Egypt Foundation, and Justice and Support Foundation.

Egypt has called for intensifying the role of the civil society groups and NGOs over the past years, including ratifying a law for regulating NGOs work in 2019, which replaced a piece of 2017 legislation that was heavily criticised by civil society locally and internationally for restricting the work of NGOs.

The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has also affirmed enhancing cooperation with civil society organisations in the near future to support their participation in implementing the National Strategy for Human Rights.

The national strategy will run until 2026 and address civilian and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the rights of marginalised groups (women, children, disabled people, youth and the elderly) and education and capacity building in the human rights field.