Ambassador Mahmoud Karem has been appointed Acting President of Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) on Wednesday, 4 June, following the formal resignation of Moushira Khattab.
The Council announced the decision during its latest session in Cairo, noting that Khattab’s resignation, effective 31 May, was submitted in advance to allow her to pursue a new role with an international organization.
In accordance with the Council’s internal regulations, Karem, who had been serving as Vice President since 2021, will lead the Council for the remainder of its current term.
Karem brings decades of diplomatic and public service experience to the role. A former ambassador to the European Union, NATO, Japan, and Belgium, he has also held several high-level positions at Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Assistant Minister for International and Asian Affairs.
On the international stage, Karem has represented Egypt in the UN Security Council, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and was appointed by the UN Secretary-General to various expert groups on disarmament and international security.
In Egypt, Karem previously served as Secretary-General of the NCHR from 2010 to 2012 and was also the general coordinator of Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s 2014 presidential campaign.
During the Council’s June meeting, members also reviewed ongoing initiatives, discussed institutional matters, and finalised a report for submission to the Sub-Committee on Accreditation, a global body that assesses national human rights institutions.
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