The General Citizenship Conference held last Sunday under the auspices of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) resulted in the Egyptian Declaration of Citizenship (EDC), a comprehensive report on how human rights measures and principles could be respected in Egypt. The declaration includes a plethora of recommendations on how to amend legislation, reform polices, and modify attitudes that are inconsistent with human rights values.
Despite the uproar that preceded the conference and was attributed by some observers to organisational confusion, the content of the declaration as well as the obligations therein cited concerning follow-up of its resolutions and monitoring pertinent achievements throughout 2008 in specific, warrant appreciation. Although the declaration fell short of covering all questions related to citizenship rights, I believe suspicions and worries ought to be put aside, and focus concentrated on how to put the declaration into force. Instead of expressing sorrow for the declarations’ shortcomings, all those concerned should sincerely work to introduce changes however minor, since major change is primarily a cumulative process.
First and foremost, the 2007 constitutional amendment which placed the principle of citizenship in the forefront of the Egyptian Constitution is in itself a historical challenge and places Egypt at a crossroads where its national homogenity is concerned. The amendment is an unprecedented opportunity that should be capitalised upon to introduce significant changes to attain balance and effectiveness among the legislative, executive, and judicial authorities. Similar to other constitutional articles, the one on citizenship represents a broad outline which has to translate into detailed bylaws. NCHR officials and participants in the citizenship conference should urge Parliament, the government and civil society to adopt the EDC and render it effective.
The EDC recommends that 2008 be declared ‘year of citizenship’, during which society should go through an all-inclusive dialogue on enhancing citizenship concepts and translating them into a programme on the ground for the entire population regardless of religion, gender, political commitment or social class.
Another significant EDC recommendation is that there should be no discrimination in employment. Transparency and fairness alone should dominate decisions, eliminating gender, class or political discrimination.
Two options were offered to combat religious discrimination where formal papers are concerned. First, the religion box should be removed from IDs. If it is to remain, members of religions other than the three heavenly religions—Islam, Christianity and Judaism—should be recognised. Depriving citizens of proving their religion in formal papers severely contradicts citizenship rights.
The EDC stressed the absolute necessity of respecting the dignity of individuals, even if suspects or defendants. It demanded that the Interior Ministry should rate this respect as a priority measure for assessment of policemen’s performance.
The unified law for building places of worship gained priority, with the EDC urging Parliament to hastily promulgate the law, so that building, renovating and restoring all places of worship would be handled equally.
The declaration also advocated that Egyptian expatriates should be allowed to take part in Egyptian presidential and legislative elections, through nomination and voting.
The 2004 law of NGOs was recommended for reconsideration, with the purpose of eliminating excessive constrains hampering the work and formation of NGOs.
These main features of the EDC represent an ambitious vision to enhance human and citizenship rights in 2008, the proposed ‘year of citizenship’. Auspiciously, 2008 coincides with the jubilee of Watani which, since 1958, has unfailingly striven to deepen concepts of citizenship and equality. Efforts to activate the EDC recommendations and tighten bonds between Egypt’s Christians and Muslims will be at the top of the agenda of Watani’s jubilee celebration.