The two-day conference will touch upon the effects of artificial intelligence on the right to privacy and how any potential breach of this right would adversely affect other human rights. It aims to explore the boundaries of state and corporate responsibility in protecting personal data and guaranteeing the right to privacy to all citizens, read a press release.

The conference will also address means to further reinforce legislative and legal frameworks relating to the protection of personal data and information.

The SSCHR – which is chaired by Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry – was established by virtue of prime ministerial decree in 2018 to strengthen the institutionalisation of human rights protection and promotion in Egypt.

The AOHR was established in 1983 as an international non-governmental and non-profit organisation, with the goal of promoting respect for human rights in the Arab world.

The opening session of the conference will witness speeches by the President of AOHR Alaa Shalaby and a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Egyptian ministers of foreign affairs, justice and social solidarity, the chairman of the Human Rights Committee in Egypt's House of Representatives as well as a representative of the Egyptian Public Prosecution will be among the keynote speakers.

Among the prominent participants are the Vice President of the Jordanian Supreme Court Mohamed Al-Tarawenah, President of the Arab Institute of Human Rights in Tunisia Abdel-Basset Ben Hassen, Head of the Human Line Organisation in Kuwait Maha Barjas, and Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights in Egypt Ambassador Khaled El-Bakly.

The conference will also be attended by the Head of the Independent Commission for Human Rights of Palestine Essam Younis, Vice President of the National Diwan for Human Rights in Kuwait Dr. Siham Al-Furaih, the Vice President of International Federation for Human Rights Shawan Jabarin, Vice-President of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) in Egypt Ambassador Mahmoud Karem, and Head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) and Journalists Syndicate Diaa Rashwan.

A number of experts in law, media communication technology and human rights hailing from 23 countries will also participate in the conference, as well as 32 heads of human rights NGOs from 16 Arab States and seven European countries. 

“The conference is in essence the first step pertaining to the implementation of a memorandum ratified in May 2022 between AOHR and SSCHR,” the press release stated.

This memorandum sets a significant precedent, as it is the first document of its kind to be signed between a human rights NGO and Egypt's governmental human rights mechanism. This comes, the press release said, in line with efforts aiming at actively implementing Egypt's National Human Rights Strategy (2021-2026) as well as President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's declaration that 2022 is the Year of Civil Society in Egypt.