Maat concludes its convoy to the New Valley with the conference "The Periodic Review, Future of Development and Combating Terrorism in the New Valley Governorate"

Aqeel: Terrorism is a cross-border issue, and we will return within two months to present the results of our work to solve some of the governorate's problems

Akil: Despite the challenges of terrorism, Egypt has fulfilled the obligations of the Road Map

The Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights concluded its first UPR convoy in the New Valley yesterday evening with a massive popular conference on "Periodic review, future development and combating terrorism in the New Valley Governorate", In the village of Nasser Al-Thawra in the New Valley.

During the conference, the results of the caravan and the visits that lasted between 13-16 May 2016 were presented and included a visit to farmers east of Kharga City, the Islamic Complex in the New Valley, the Center for Preparing Productive Families for Training, the Church of the Virgin Mary in Kharga, the Training Center on Environmental and Handicrafts, and two meetings with media professionals and organizations Civil society in the New Valley Governorate.

The conference, which was organized in cooperation with the Community Development Association in the New Valley, hosted many actors in the governorate from civil society organizations, media professionals, religious and popular leaders, and members of society as a whole, and the goal of the conference was to present the results of the visits and meetings organized by the convoy through a short video film documenting the activities that The caravan carried it out, and in his speech, Professor Salah Imam, Chairman of the Society for Local Community Development in the New Valley, pointed out the importance of the local civil society role in presenting alternatives and legislative and policy proposals to contribute to fulfilling the basic rights of citizens in the governorate. Professor Ayman Aqil, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights indicated that the governorate has suffered from marginalization over many decades, adding that the goal of Maat’s visit to the New Valley is to send a message that “we are all in the same trench”, and that “our aspirations and hopes are common. , Stressing that civil society organizations should not be far from the challenges facing the nation, and that the role of civil society is not to enter into conflict with the government, but rather to help the state fulfill its international obligations in the field of human rights.

Aqeel referred to some terrorist incidents that the governorate was subjected to, including the attack that targeted an officer and four recruits in May 2014, the attack that targeted 21 members of the armed forces in July 2014, and other terrorist incidents. Aqeel also added that terrorism is a cross-border issue and that the real guarantee is To eliminate terrorism, there is real development.

Aqeel asserted that the visit came out of the Foundation’s keenness to “not remain confined to closed rooms,” stressing the Foundation’s intention to work to contribute to finding solutions to some of the problems documented by the convoy through a set of procedures that include direct communication with policy makers, legislators and executives at the central level. And the private sector and civil society, adding that the Foundation will return to the New Valley within two months to present the results of its work on the problems documented by the convoy.

The Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights will issue a comprehensive report on the convoy that includes a set of recommendations and measures that the Foundation will take to contribute to solving the problems identified by the convoy.

Attached is the text of the speech of Professor / Ayman Aqeel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Maat Foundation during the conference