Foreword
Since 2016, the Government of Egypt (GoE) embarked on an ambitious reform process to achieve key strategic objectives for the country’s sustainable economic development and growth through the adoption of the Egypt Vision 2030. This strategic framework is the first of its kind to place sustainable development at the front and centre of cross-sector policies to promote economic growth, social inclusion and prosperity for future generations in Egypt. Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy, Egypt Vision 2030, highlights the importance of strengthening the rule of law and ensuring equal access to justice, in line with United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.3, which commits all member states to “promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, and ensure equal access to justice for all.”
Children in Egypt make up an estimated 40% of the total population. Acknowledging this, the Egyptian justice system is undertaking a range of efforts to ensure equal access to justice for all children. Achieving SDG 16 would profoundly and positively affect the lives of Egypt’s future generations.
This report takes stock of the Egypt’s efforts to design, deliver, and co-ordinate child justice services and enhance the child-friendliness of the justice system. It provides an overview of the current legal and policy framework around child-justice and the results achieved so far in this area. It also makes policy recommendations to support Egypt in providing justice and support services that meet the needs of children in line with international standards and treaties. The report draws on the OECD Framework and Good Practice Principles for People-centred Justice, the forthcoming OECD Child Justice Framework, and OECD criteria for people-centred legal and justice service delivery.
The report offers tailored policy advice for providing more coherent, consistent and co-ordinated justice services for children, as well as ensuring their legal empowerment. The report emphasises the importance of understanding the needs and aspirations of children in Egypt. Egypt is encouraged to continue implementing the various national strategies related to child justice and well-being as well as to strengthen its justice system as a whole.
This report is a core output of the project “Towards a Child-Friendly Justice System in Egypt”, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The project seeks to help Egypt enhance the capacity, institutional co-ordination and effectiveness of its justice system to better protect children in contact with the law. The report provides guidance for building on progress made under the National Plan for Childhood and Motherhood in Egypt (2018-2022).