Social care, security conf. opens

Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine el-Qabbag on Sunday opened the first Social Care and Security Policies Conference.

The two-day conference, in partnership with the Arab League and UNICEF, is held under auspices of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

The conference coincides with the hard circumstances the entire world is experiencing in the wake of the repercussions of Covid 19 and the Russian-Ukrainian war that has had negative impacts on the global economy and affected the unemployment rate, and consequently the quality of life of those in most need for social care, the minister said in her address to the opening session.

The minister spoke of the paramount importance of the governance of social care policies and the desire by Arab countries to promote them, the minister added.

El-Qabbag said her ministry’s policy entails the provision of social care, protection and development for all segments of Egyptian society.

“This is part of the Egypt Vision 20230, and the National Strategy on Human Rights 2021-2026,” el-Qabbag said.

As children account for 40 per cent of Egypt’s population, the ministry has prepared a strategy of alternative care for children and youth from a human rights and development perspective, el-Qabbag added.

“The strategy is also aimed at providing better services in order to improve living standards and empower children in care institutions to integrate them into society through employment and housing, and also helping them raise families, in addition to continuous follow-up of them until they are settled, as well as including them in the health insurance and food support systems,” she said.