“From Commitment to Implementation? A Comparative Analytical Reading of Egypt’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) 2019–2025”

The National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms has released an in-depth analytical paper titled “From Commitment to Implementation? A Comparative Reading of Egypt’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) 2019 and 2025.” This rights-focused document seeks to provide an objective assessment of the evolution of Egypt’s human rights commitments within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

This paper comes at a critical juncture, as Egypt has witnessed significant political, economic, and social transformations in recent years, which have directly impacted the state of rights and freedoms. The study emerges from a pressing need to bridge the gap between official discourse and international commitments on one hand, and the legal, institutional, and practical realities on the other—particularly in light of Egypt’s obligations under international treaties and its declared vision of building a “New Republic” founded on the rule of law, citizenship, and social justice.

The paper adopts a comparative analytical approach between the 2019 and 2025 UPR cycles, drawing on official data, international recommendations, responses from the Egyptian government, and practical indicators reflecting the performance of national institutions. It highlights the discrepancies between declared commitments and actual implementation, addressing key issues such as civil liberties, freedom of association and expression, the state of civil society, criminal justice, economic and social rights, and the independence of national institutions.

The study finds that Egypt accepted 64% of the recommendations during the 2025 cycle, compared to 54% in 2019, with a reduction in rejected recommendations from 19% to 11%. While this quantitative shift indicates a more active engagement with the UPR mechanism, the paper stresses that actual implementation still faces structural challenges—including the absence of substantial legislative reforms, the persistence of institutional and procedural constraints, and the lack of alignment between some national laws and international standards, particularly in areas such as counter-terrorism, media freedoms, and peaceful assembly.

The paper also examines the status of the National Council for Human Rights as a key indicator of the state’s commitment to its human rights pledges. Although the expansion of the Council’s role during this cycle is welcomed, the Association has observed ongoing challenges related to its independence, its appointment mechanisms, and the need to enhance its oversight functions in line with the Paris Principles.

Regarding national follow-up mechanisms, the Association commends the efforts made through the Permanent Supreme Committee for Human Rights, while emphasizing the importance of further strengthening its independence and transparency, and ensuring the inclusion of independent civil society organizations and national experts in evaluation and monitoring processes.

The paper presents a series of procedural and structural recommendations aimed at enhancing Egypt’s human rights trajectory, including:

Conducting a comprehensive review of the legislative framework related to freedoms and human rights, particularly the Penal Code, NGO Law, Media Law, and the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Amending the law governing the National Council for Human Rights to guarantee its financial and administrative independence in line with international standards.

Implementing recommendations that support a safe and enabling environment for civil society, and removing administrative and security obstacles facing rights-based organizations.

Establishing measurable performance indicators for the implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy (2021–2026) and publishing periodic evaluation reports.

Strengthening judicial independence, limiting pretrial detention, and activating independent judicial oversight.

The Association called on the international community—particularly UN mechanisms—to provide technical and capacity-building support to civil society organizations in Egypt and to ensure their safe and effective participation in all stages of the UPR process, including the preparation of stakeholders’ reports, oral interventions, and follow-up mechanisms.

The Association further stressed that respect for human rights must be a self-driven national obligation, not merely a response to external pressure, as it constitutes the foundation for achieving stability, development, and social justice. It affirmed that this paper, “From Commitment to Implementation?”, is part of its ongoing efforts to promote transparency and provide analytical tools grounded in data and field monitoring, with the aim of informing public policy on a deeper level of accountability and civic engagement.

The statement concluded by emphasizing the importance of activating national dialogue mechanisms, expanding civic space, rebuilding trust between the state and civil society, and presenting a national model that upholds human dignity, respects Egypt’s international obligations, and places human rights at the heart of building the New Republic that Egyptian citizens aspire to.