Basic Components of Society

Al-Azhar is an independent Islamic scientific institution, with exclusive competence over its own affairs. It is the main reference for religious sciences and Islamic affairs. It is responsible for calling to Islam, as well as, disseminating religious sciences and the Arabic language in Egypt and all over the world.

The State shall provide sufficient financial allocations thereto so that it can achieve its purposes.

Al-Azhar’s Grand Sheikh is independent and may not be dismissed. The Law shall regulate the method of appointing the Grand Sheikh from amongst the members of Council of Senior Scholars.

Society is based on social solidarity.

The State shall achieve social justice and provide the means to achieve social interdependence, in order to ensure a decent life for all citizens, as regulated by Law.

The State shall ensure equal opportunities for all citizens without discrimination.

The family is the nucleus of society, and is founded on religion, morality, and patriotism. The State shall ensure its cohesion, stability and the establishment of its values.

The State shall ensure the achievement of equality between women and men in all civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

The State shall take the necessary measures to ensure the appropriate representation of women in the houses of representatives, as specified by Law. The State shall also guarantee women’s right of holding public and senior management offices in the State and their appointment in judicial bodies and authorities without discrimination.

The State shall protect women against all forms of violence and ensure enabling women to strike a balance between family duties and work requirements.

The State shall provide care to and protection of motherhood and childhood, female heads of families, and elderly and neediest women.

Work is a right, duty and honor guaranteed by the State. No citizen may be forced to work except as required by Law and for the purpose of performing a public service for a fixed period in return for a fair consideration, and without prejudice to the basic rights of those obliged to carry out such work.

The State shall protect workers’ rights and strive to build balanced work relationships between both parties to the production process. It shall ensure means for collective negotiations, protect workers against work risks, guarantee the fulfillment of the requirements of security, safety and occupational health, and prohibit arbitrary dismissal, all as regulated by Law.

Public offices are a competence-based right for all citizens without bias or favoritism, and are deemed a mandate to serve the people. The State shall ensure the rights and protection of public servants and that they perform their respective duties in serving the interests of the people. They may not be dismissed without disciplinary procedures except in the cases specified by Law.

Peaceful strike is a right regulated by Law.

The State shall honor the martyrs of the nation; shall care for revolution-wounded persons, veterans and wounded warriors, families of those missing in war and its equivalents, and persons wounded in security operations, as well as their wives, children and parents; and shall strive to provide all of them with job opportunities, all as regulated by Law.

The State shall encourage the participation of the civil society organizations in achieving those objectives.

The State shall ensure that social insurance services are provided.

All citizens who do not benefit from the social insurance system have the right to social security, in a manner that ensures a decent life in the event of being incapable to provide for themselves and their families, as well as in cases of incapacity to work, old age or unemployment.

In accordance with the Law, the State shall strive to provide suitable pensions to small farmers, agricultural workers and fishermen, and irregular labor.

The funds of social insurance and pensions are deemed private funds that enjoy all aspects and forms of protection afforded to public funds. Those funds along with their returns are the rights of their respective beneficiaries; they shall be safely invested, and shall be managed by an independent entity in accordance with the Law.

The State shall guarantee social insurance and pension funds.

Every citizen has the right to health and to comprehensive health care which complies with quality standards. The State shall maintain and support public health facilities that provide health services to the people, and shall enhance their efficiency and their equitable geographical distribution.

The State shall allocate a percentage of government spending to health equivalent to at least 3% of Gross National Product (GNP), which shall gradually increase to comply with international standards.

The State shall establish a comprehensive health insurance system covering all diseases for all Egyptians; and the Law shall regulate citizens’ contribution to or exemption from its subscriptions based on their income rates.

Refusing to provide any form of medical treatment to any human in emergency or life-threatening situations is a crime.

The State shall improve the conditions of physicians, nursing staff, and health sector workers.

All health facilities as well as health-related products, materials and means of advertisement shall be subject to State control. The State shall encourage the participation of private and non-governmental sectors in providing health care services according to the Law.

Every citizen has the right to education. The goals of education are to build the Egyptian character, preserve the national identity, root the scientific method of thinking, develop talents and promote innovation, establish cultural and spiritual values, and found the concepts of citizenship, tolerance and non-discrimination. The State shall observe the goals of education in the educational curricula and methods, and provide education in accordance with international quality standards.

Education is compulsory until the end of the secondary stage or its equivalent. The State shall provide free education in the various stages in the State’s educational institutions according to the Law.

The State shall allocate a percentage of government spending to education equivalent to at least 4% of the Gross National Product (GNP), which shall gradually increase to comply with international standards.

The State shall supervise education to ensure that all public and private schools and institutes abide by its educational policies.

The State shall encourage and develop technical and technological education as well as vocational training, and expand all their types in accordance with international quality standards and in accordance with labor market needs.

The State shall guarantee the independence of universities and scientific and linguistic academies, and provide university education in accordance with international quality standards. It shall develop and ensure free provision of university education in State universities and institutes according to the Law.

The State shall allocate a percentage of government spending to university education equivalent to at least 2% of the Gross National Product (GNP), which shall gradually increase to comply with international standards.

The State shall encourage the establishment of non-profit, nongovernmental universities. The State shall guarantee the quality of education in private and non-governmental universities, ensure that they comply with international quality standards and the = build their own faculty members and researchers, and allocate a sufficient percentage of their returns to educational and research development.

Teachers, and faculty members and their assistants, are the main pillars of education. The State shall guarantee the development of their academic competencies and professional skills and shall care for their financial and moral rights in order to ensure the quality of education and achieve its goals.

The State shall ensure freedom of scientific research and encourage scientific research institutions as a mean to achieve national sovereignty and build a knowledge economy. The State shall sponsor researchers and inventors and allocate a percentage of government spending to scientific research equivalent to at least 1% of the Gross National Product (GNP), which shall gradually increase to comply with international standards.

The State shall ensure effective means of contribution by private and non-governmental sectors and the participation of Egyptian expatriates in the progress of scientific research.

Arabic Language, Religious Education and National History, in all its stages, are core subjects in public and private pre-university education. Universities shall teach human rights and professional values and ethics of the various academic disciplines.

The State shall develop a comprehensive plan to eradicate alphabetical and digital illiteracy among citizens of all ages. The State shall develop its implementation mechanisms with the participation of civil society organizations within a definite timeline.

The creation of civil titles is prohibited.

Economic Components

The economic system aims at achieving prosperity through sustainable development and social justice so as to raise the real growth rate of the national economy and the standard of living, increase job opportunities, reduce unemployment rates and eliminate poverty.

The economic system shall adhere to transparency and good governance standards; enhance pillars of competitiveness, encourage investment, ensure balanced geographical, sectorial, and environmental growth, prohibit monopolistic practices, maintain financial and trade balances and a fair tax system, in the context of a regulated economy guaranteeing the various types of ownership and striking a balance between the interests of various stakeholders preserving the rights of workers and protecting consumers.

From a social perspective, the economic system shall ensure equal opportunities and fair distribution of development returns, reduce the differences among incomes and adhere to a minimum wage and pension ensuring a decent life, as well as a maximum one in State agencies for every salaried employee according to the Law.

The productive, service and information related economic activities are key components of the economy. The State shall protect them and strive to increase their competitiveness; provide investment-attracting environment, increase productivity, encourage exports, and regulate imports.

The State shall pay special attention to small, medium and micro enterprises in all fields, and shall regulate and rehabilitate the informal sector.

Agriculture is a basic component of the economy.

The State shall protect and expand agricultural land, and shall criminalize encroachments thereon. It shall develop rural areas; raise the standard of living of their population and protect them from environmental risks; and shall strive to on develop agricultural and animal production and encourage industries based thereon.

The State shall provide agricultural and animal production requirements, and shall buy basic agricultural crops at suitable prices generating profit margins for farmers in agreement with agricultural unions, syndicates and associations. The State shall also allocate a percentage of reclaimed lands to small farmers and youth graduates, and protect farmers and agricultural workers against exploitation. All the foregoing shall be as regulated by Law.

The State shall protect fish resources, as well as protect and support fishermen and empower them to carry out their work without jeopardizing ecosystems, as regulated by Law.

The security of cyberspace is an integral part of the economic system and national security. The State shall take the necessary measures to preserve it as regulated by Law.

The State’s natural resources belong to the people. The State shall preserve and effectively exploit them, may not deplete them, and shall observe the rights of future generations to them.

The State shall make the best use of renewable energy sources, motivate investment therein, and encourage relevant scientific research. The State shall encourage the manufacture of raw materials and increase their added value as per economic feasibility.

Disposing of State’s public properties is prohibited. Granting the right of exploitation of natural resources or public utility concessions shall be by virtue of a law for a period not exceeding thirty years.

Granting the right of exploitation of quarries, small mines and slatterns, or granting public utility concession shall be based on a law for a period not exceeding fifteen years.

The Law shall define provisions of disposing of the State’s private properties as well as the regulating rules and procedures.

The State shall protect ownership with its three types: the public, the private and the cooperative.

Public properties are inviolable and may not be infringed upon. Protection thereof is a duty according to the Law.

Private properties shall be protected, and the right to inheritance thereto is secured. It is not permissible to impose guardianship thereon except in the cases defined by Law and by virtue of a court judgment. Expropriation shall be allowed only in the public interest and for its benefit, and against fair compensation to be paid in advance according to the Law.

The State shall motivate the private sector to undertake its social responsibility in serving the economy and society.

Cooperative ownership shall be protected. The State shall give due care to cooperatives, and the Law shall guarantee their protection, support and independence.

It is prohibited to dissolve cooperatives or their board of directors except by virtue of a court judgment.

The tax system, as well as other public liabilities, aim at developing State resources and achieving social justice and economic development.

Public taxes may not be created, altered, or cancelled except by a law; and exemption therefrom may only be made in the cases defined by the law. No person may be required to pay other taxes or fees except as provided for in the Law.

Multi sources shall be observed in imposing taxes. Progressive multi bracket taxes shall be imposed on incomes of individuals according to their respective financial capabilities. Taxation system shall ensure promoting labor-intensive economic activities and motivating their role in the economic, social and cultural development.

The State shall improve the taxation system and develop modern systems that guarantee efficiency, easiness and control in tax collection. The Law shall define the methods and tools of collecting taxes, charges and any other sovereign proceeds, and amounts thereof to be deposited into the State public treasury.

Tax payment is a duty and tax evasion is a crime.

Saving is a national duty protected and encouraged by the State that shall guarantee savings, as regulated by the law.

General confiscation of properties is prohibited. Specific confiscation is impermissible except by virtue of a court judgment.

The State shall implement a population program aiming at striking a balance between population growth rates and available resources; and shall maximize investments in human resources and improve their characteristics in the framework of achieving sustainable development.

Workers shall have a share in the management and profits of enterprises according to the law, and shall develop production and implement the respective plans of their productive units. Preserving production tools is a national duty.

Workers shall be represented by 50% of the elected members of the boards of directors of public sector units. Their representation in the boards of directors of public enterprise sector companies shall be subject to the Law.

The Law shall regulate the representation of small farmers and craftsmen with a minimum representation percentage of 80% in the boards of directors of agricultural, industrial and handicraft cooperatives.

The State shall protect and develop the Suez Canal and preserve it as an international waterway owned by the State. The State shall also develop the Canal sector as a distinguished economic center.

The State shall protect the River Nile, preserve Egypt’s historical rights thereto, rationalize and maximize its use, and refrain from wasting or polluting its water. The State shall also protect groundwater; adopt necessary means for ensuring water security; and support scientific research in that regard.

Every citizen is guaranteed the right to enjoy the River Nile. It is prohibited to trespass the riverbank reserve or harm the riverine environment. The State shall guarantee eliminating any trespass against the River Nile as regulated by Law.

The State shall protect its seas, shores, lakes, waterways and natural protectorates.

Trespassing, polluting or misusing any of them is prohibited. Every citizen is guaranteed the right of enjoying them. The State shall protect and develop the green space in the urban areas; preserve plant, animal and fish resources and protect those under the threat of extinction or danger; guarantee humane treatment of animals, all according to the law.

Every person has the right to a sound healthy environment. Environment protection is a national duty. The State shall take necessary measures to protect and ensure not to harm the environment; ensure a rational use of natural resources so as to achieve sustainable development; and guarantee the right of future generations thereto.

Cultural Components

The State shall maintain the Egyptian cultural identity with its diversified branches of civilization.

Culture is a right to every citizen. The State shall secure and support this right and make available all types of cultural materials to all strata of the people, without any discrimination based on financial capability, geographic location or others. The State shall give special attention to remote areas and the neediest groups.

The State shall encourage translation from and into Arabic.

The State shall protect and preserve monuments and give due care to monumental sites. It shall also maintain and restore them; recover stolen antiquities; and organize and supervise excavation operations.

Presenting monuments as gifts or exchanging them is prohibited.

Aggression against or trafficking in monuments is a crime that is not subject to prescription.

Egypt’s civilization and cultural heritage, whether physical or moral, including all diversities and principal milestones - namely Ancient Egyptian, Coptic, and Islamic - is a national and human wealth. The State shall preserve and maintain this heritage as well as the contemporary cultural wealth, whether architectural, literary or artistic, with all diversities. Aggression against any of the foregoing is a crime punished by Law. The State shall pay special attention to protecting components of cultural pluralism in Egypt.

Public Rights, Freedoms & Duties