Egypt and UN
Translated by: Fatma Mohamed Abd-Elfattah
Reviwed by: Nouran Salah
Since the establishment of the Egyptian Policy October one of the 51 founders of the International Organization. Egypt also supported their roles and positions, had a deep cooperation with the organisation and its bodies, specialised organisms, funds and programmes. Egypt's membership in the UN is known for its participation and active concern international, regional, and Arab issues. concern is demonstrated through participation in the annual sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in order to present its foreign political positions different international and regional issues.
Since the Council’s establishment in 1946, until 1, 2016, Egypt one of the few countries that was elected six times as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Egypt’s active role appeared clearly and distinctly , which lasted for two years in a row.
Since Egypt's relationship with the UN has witnessed development. The relationship began in 1946-1947. Later, Egypt was elected in 1949-19950 and 1961-1962, then in 1984-1985 fifth time for Egypt to be elected was in (1996-1997). In addition, Egypt chaired the Security Council sessions May 2016 and August and contributed during this period, to many discussions on international and regional issues. The most important of these discussions is countering terrorism. Since the establishment of the UN, Egypt has played a main role in settling many conflicts as an establishing member of a large number of regional organisations, mainly the League of Arab States, the African Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. of the main fields related to conflict settlement which Egypt has reached a distinguished position, is the field of peacekeeping operations. This happened due to the Egyptian army’s capabilities as its regiments are always chosen to externally participate in establishing stability and peace in tense spots the world as peacekeeping forces. Egypt is one of the largest of forces to the UN peacekeeping missions. Hence, Egypt these operations since their establishment in 1948. The first Egyptian contribution to peacekeeping operations in the Congo was in 1960. Since then, Egypt has contributed 37 peacekeeping missions by sending about 30,000 of its officers and soldiers in the army and police, who were distributed to 24 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
During the civil war, two parachute companies of 258 - Sarajevo during the civil war in the nineties - Côte d’Ivoire to help the Ivorian parties in implementing the peace agreement signed between them in January 2003 and to end the civil war - Somalia, where Egypt was entrusted in the 19s to protect Mogadishu Airport and training Somali police members to counter extremists. , Central Africa a mechanized infantry company of 125, an administrative , and a medical unit of 294 as members of the UN peacekeeping mission. Angola military observers in the period from 1991 to 1999.
Egypt also international observers in Mozambique from 1993 until June 1995, in Liberia, Rwanda, the Comoros, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the 1990s, and in the Darfur region of Sudan since 2014. In addition, it contributed 1,046 the UN mission in Sudan.
In order to support peacekeeping efforts on the African continent, Egypt established the Cairo Training Center for Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping in Africa in 1995 to train about 200 African students annually to speak French, English and Portuguese, aiming to bolster collaboration and interaction linguistic and cultural groups in Africa. The Center closely cooperates with the African Union Conflict Prevention Mechanism and also with many of the peacekeeping institutions, including the Pearson Center for Peacekeeping.
Arab Issues
The Libyan crisis: While heading the Counter-Terrorism Committee on June 28, 2017, Egypt called for the need to reach political reconciliation in Libya and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya to monitor and implement the political agreement, in addition to the need for the Security Council and its committees’ documentation of the repeated violations by some countries, especially as it armed and financed terrorist groups and organizations in Libya.
The Syrian crisis: Egypt called for discussing the American project concerning the chemical attack on Syria. It also and the US to reach an understanding the crisis because this war paved the way for terrorist organizations that threaten the entire region to spread and also led millions of immigrants and refugees to European countries.
The Palestinian issue: Egypt the Security Council for the need for a just resolution to the Palestinian issue, which has been on the Council’s agenda for 70 years, and for the need to stop in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In January 2016, Egypt called the Security Council to assume the responsibility of protecting the Palestinian people, the situation in the Palestinian territories, and end the Israeli occupation.
Egypt also called for holding an emergency session of the Security Council to discuss the crisis of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, to stop acts of violence and ethnic cleansing, and to find a just resolution that guarantees the legitimate rights Rohingya minority. Hence, on September 13, 2017, the Council held an emergency session to discuss the developments this crisis.
On March 2, 2022, Egypt participated in the emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly concerning the war between Russia and Ukraine. At the end of its emergency session, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution “vigorously” condemning the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and calling Russia to immediately stop using force against Ukraine and abstain from threats or from the illegal use of force against any Member State. The resolution also called Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from athe territory of Ukraine in its internationally recognized borders.
voted in favour of the resolution. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, Egypt would like to affirm the following points related to the resolution that the United Nations General Assembly had just adopted. voted in favour of it out of its firm belief in the international law rules and the United Nations Charter principles and purposes:
1- for a quick political solution to end the crisis through dialogue, peaceful means, and active diplomacy must remain the core the major goal of the entire international community in dealing with the current crisis. Then, the political space to achieve that main goal must be provided.
2- Egypt affirms that examining the roots and causes of the current crisis should not be ignored, and necessary to deal with it in a way that ensures defusing the crisis and achieving security and stability.
3- Egypt rejects the approach of implementing the economic sanctions outside the framework of the multilateral international system mechanisms, based on past experiences, which had profound negative humanitarian effects and led to an aggregation of the suffering of civilians over the past decades.
4- All parties must assume the responsibility to ensure sending the humanitarian aid to everyone in need, without any discrimination, in addition to facilitating foreign residents passing across borders as there have been some reports of discriminatory treatment.
5- Egypt warns again the economic and social consequences of the current crisis and their impact on the entire global economy, which still suffering from the repercussions of the pandemic. Maybe, the increasing disruption in supply chains and international air traffic is significant evidence for that.
6- The effectiveness and credibility of the ability of the international multilateral action mechanisms to confront successive challenges and crises depend on dealing with all international crises according to the same fixed standards consistent with the Charter principles and purposes, without decades of the devastating status quo and the intensive human suffering.
Egypt's vision for UN reform project
Egypt played an active role in many of the preliminary deliberations that took place in bodies to consult about the process of reforming the UN in general and expanding the Security authority in particular. Egypt’s vision for reforming the UN includes the necessity of fostering the organisation’s independence from international pressures and enabling it to independently and impartially carry out its duty and to be committed to what the UN Charter stipulates which is respecting the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.
Egypt currently has a permanent representative with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary to both the UN headquarters in New York and Geneva. In addition, Egypt sent permanent delegates representing it to UN bodies. Egypt seeks to have a permanent seat in the Security Council within the framework of what is going on in the project to expand the Council’s membership and increase the developing countries representation in order to achieve a just geographical representation and democratic international decision-making.
Egypt's position expanding the Security Council authority is based on the necessity of being committed to joint African action, transparency, and the unity of the African position. This was presented at the Sirte Summit on July 5, 2005. The summit issued a declaration on behalf of the presidents titled “Sirte Declaration”. The declaration adhered to Africa’s right to obtain two permanent seats in the expanded Security Council with veto and five non-permanent seats distributed among the five African political regions on the continent.
The Egyptian move in the framework of its right to have a permanent seat in the Security Council depends on Egypt’s long history of supporting liberation and independence movements in the developing world and Egypt’s current status as a major regional country with its Islamic, Arab, African and Mediterranean affiliations and its Asian extension. Egypt also has an increasing political position in international affairs, based on its Arab, regional and continental role, due to its decisive and committed positions towards the rights and interests of the South countries and its participation in many peacekeeping operations in various continents.
Egypt's possession of one of the most diversified economies, the second largest population, and the largest diplomacy on the African continent regarding the number of diplomatic missions, its extension, and ability to reach the international community bolster its position. Egypt is also supported by its constant concern to actively participate in all UN activities. These activities are exemplified in the political fields, social and economic development issues, arms control at the regional and international levels, and active contribution to the diplomacy of international conferences and hosting many of them. These conferences include the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in September 1994, the International Conference on Crime Prevention (April-May 1995), and the Peacemakers Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in March 1996.
Egypt is also one of the countries which is represented in a large number on the executive councils and the specialised UN bodies and agencies. The UN system in Egypt also includes 10 regional offices for UN agencies, funds and programmes.
UN in Egypt
Egypt is one of the 51 members of the UN and has a long tradition of participation and collaboration with the UN since its establishment in 1945, and with its main bodies, specialized agencies, funds and s. Since 1945, Egypt's relationship with the UN has significantly developed. Today, the UN family in Egypt consists of 24 resident and non-resident UN agencies, in which hundreds of employees from various specializations work.
The UN in Egypt adheres to supporting efforts to guarantee a better quality of life for women, men, boys and girls by developing national capabilities and building strong partnerships with the government, civil society, the private sector, academics, intellect centers, media, and other national and international partners.
The UN in Egypt advocates national efforts to change and provide support to the evidence-based policies that human rights, justice, equity and prosperity within a sustainable environment.
United Nations Country Team (UNCT) members coordinate their programmes with their partners under the leadership of the UN System Resident Coordinator in Egypt. The UN works to improve the quality of life, provide technical capacity and a global expansion its programmes, and bolster development effectiveness. After the previous agreement between the UN and Egypt Government, and the UN Development Assistance Framework (2013-2017), both signed a partnership agreement, the United Nations Partnership for Development Framework (UNPDF), lasting for five years, 2018-2022. This document was drafted through an extended consultative process to with the national Sustainable Development Strategy: Egypt’s Vision 2030 (SDS), which is also in line with the Global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals (SDGs). These global goals aim to guarantee quality education for all, achieve women's empowerment and gender equality, guarantee decent work and the growth of labor markets, and many other goals. The global goals for sustainable development call for a procedure that deals with society at large through the participation of all its factions in implementing these goals and everyone should accountable in implementation.
Guaranteeing the United Nations Partnership for Development Framework (UNPDF) aligning with Egypt's Vision 2030 and the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, it aims to work side by side with the Egyptian government to achieve the following four goals:
- A) Comprehensive economic development.
- b) Social justice.
- c) Environmental sustainability and natural resource management.
- d) Empowering women.
The UN in Egypt also includes 10 regional offices of UN agencies, funds and programmes and 23 UN agencies, a programme and fund in Cairo called Resident Agencies, which are:
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
- International Civil Aviation (ICAO).
- International Labor Organization (ILO).
- International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
- United Nations Joint Program to Combat AIDS (UNAIDS).
- Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (CHA).
- United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
- United Nations Human Settlements Program (UNHABITAT).
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- United Nations Information Center (UNIC).
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
- Office for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).
- United Nations Women (NWOMEN).
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
- United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
- Universal Postal Union (UPU).
- United Nations Volunteers (UNV).
- World Food Program (WFP).
- World Health Organization (WHO).
- International Organization for Migration (IOM).
- World Bank “WB”.
- International Corporation (IFC).
These agencies work in coordination with the Egyptian government to develop national capabilities in various areas. Egypt also has offices for both the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).
Through its active participation with international organisations, Egypt seeks to empower peoples to regain their capabilities, open new perspectives for collaboration among all international community members, broaden the narrow vision of interests, and prioritize the logic of power to achieve the common human interests and cooperation among all.
Sources
United Nations website in Egypt
Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA)
General Authority for Information
English Language Coordinator: Asmaa Ahmed
