Egyptian today

Books: Wael Ali

4 human rights organizations criticized what they called “the incomprehensible and unjustified behavior” of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and its insistence on excluding the “four” organizations - which are the Egyptian civil entities most concerned with the issue of combating corruption - as they said, from participating in forums and meetings organized and in which the ministry participates to discuss the role of Civil society organizations in the fight against corruption.

The organizations, which are partners for transparency, the Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, Egyptians Without Borders, and the Foundation for Studies and Programs of Integrity and Transparency for Human Rights confirmed in a joint statement, Wednesday, that the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the General Union of Associations and NGOs and the Egyptian Society for Cooperative Studies have participated in organizing a forum Last Monday, July 31, 2017, under the title "The Role of Civil Society in Combating Corruption", the Ministry also called for a meeting two months ago with NGOs concerned with combating corruption to receive proposals that can be funded through the Associations Support Fund without inviting any of the four organizations.

The statement pointed out that the four organizations that signed the statement are almost the only organizations in Egypt that dealt with the issue of combating corruption institutionally as a main concern for them for years, and each of them has implemented a large number of projects and programs related to fighting corruption and promoting integrity, transparency and accountability practices in cooperation with a number of institutions and partners. International and local development, as well as the organizations submitted dozens of theses, recommendations, proposals for legislation and systematic reports in order to reform the legislative and institutional environment, as well as their participation in dozens of national, regional and international forums on the same issue.

The statement pointed out that the efforts of the four organizations are still of interest, appreciation, and wide participation of parliamentary parties, experts, government officials and those concerned with the issue of combating corruption, as well as of great interest from various media outlets, which are well-known and documented efforts and roles of the Ministry of Social Solidarity as the ministry responsible for implementing the law governing the work Civil organizations.

The statement stressed that the behavior of the Ministry of Social Solidarity expresses its "negative view" of the organizations that are active in the field of combating corruption from a defensive perspective based on the call to reform public policies, develop legislation and create an institutional environment, which clearly indicates the lack of the ministry's seriousness in dealing with the issue with what it deserves. Interest, which is inferred from the Ministry officials ’insistence on excluding serious expertise that has an integrated vision stemming from a comprehensive awareness of anti-corruption requirements and an accurate reading of the relevant international and constitutional obligations.