How do you build an institution that can effectively champion the rights of persons with disabilities? For Egypt’s National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), the answer begins with understanding its own strengths, identifying areas for improvement, and turning that knowledge into meaningful action.
Launched in March 2025, the three-year project “Strengthening the National Council for Persons with Disabilities” is supporting the NCPD in enhancing both its internal performance and its ability to fulfil its mandate of promoting the rights, inclusion, and participation of persons with disabilities across Egypt.
The first phase of the project focused on listening and learning. Throughout 2025, a comprehensive assessment examined the Council’s existing systems, procedures, and capacities. Internal workflows, communication mechanisms, coordination practices, and service-related functions were carefully reviewed to identify what was already working well and where further support was needed.
This process was enriched through consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, whose perspectives helped shape a clear set of priorities for the future. Together, these efforts produced a practical roadmap designed to guide the next stage of the project.
Since January 2026, the initiative has entered its implementation phase, transforming analysis into concrete action. Over the coming months, the project will support the strengthening of the NCPD’s complaints-handling system and the upgrading of its institutional website, making both services more accessible, responsive, and user-friendly for citizens.
At the same time, efforts will focus on enhancing the Council’s monitoring and evaluation capacities, enabling it to better track and support Egypt’s commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Law No. 10 of 2018.
Another key milestone will be the development of a national service mapping system and the establishment of an Observatory on the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. These tools will help improve the collection, availability, and use of data, supporting more informed planning, policymaking, and follow-up.
Backed by EUR 1 million from the European Union and EUR 500,000 in parallel funding from the Italian Government through AICS, the project reflects a shared commitment to building stronger institutions and creating lasting change. Above all, it aims to ensure that persons with disabilities remain at the centre of Egypt’s development agenda, not only as beneficiaries, but as active participants in shaping a more inclusive future.
