IFMSA-Egypt at the 20^th anniversary of the Conventions on the Rights of Children

On November 20^th 2009, IFMSA – Egypt have received an invitation from UNICEF to be part of the youth movements sharing in the organization of the 20^th celebration of the conventions on the rights of children.

It represents a major milestone in the historic effort to achieve a world fit for children. As a binding treaty of international law, it codifies principles that Member States of the United Nations agreed to be universal – “for all children, in all countries and cultures, at all times and without exception, simply through the fact of their being born into the human family.”

The Convention has achieved near-universal acceptance, having now been ratified by 193 parties. In fact, Egypt was one of the first countries that signed the CRC and has made significant progress over the past decade towards fulfilling the rights of Egyptian children. Substantial gains in child survival rates, school enrollment, immunization coverage and access to safe drinking water, were registered. Public policies have placed children rights on the development agenda, contributing to a significant reduction of under-five mortality and a high level of primary education attainment.

Further more in 2008, the Egyptian Parliament approved an amended child law which incorporated significant changes such as increasing the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18, criminalizing Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting FGM/C, and setting up child protection committees.

IFMSA – Egypt SCORA and SCOHP teams were there on that occasion to hold up activities directed towards children living on the streets, highlighting critical issues that represents a major burden upon the community in Egypt as  child labour and violence against children and raising a particular concern about Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting.

We seized the approach of the World AIDS Day to raise the discussion about adolescents, the need for support and intervention programs that help adolescents to become more responsible, to advocate for enhancing the care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS and reduction of stigma and discrimination as well as promoting young people’s participation in civil society and development.

Special thanks for to Ms. Dina Khalid – HIV/AIDS Officer in UNICEF-Egypt – that made the participation of IFMSA-Egypt in this celebration possible and visible.

The team was lead by Mr. Talal Marouf the current National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS, assisted by Ms. Noha Salah the current National Officer on Humanitarian Projects.

Please if you want any more information on how to participate in such activities or you want to know more about the Run for Cure, contact our NORA at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or our NOHP at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .