Former Ambassador Mohammed Nagui El Ghatrifi, senior member of the Egyptian Al Ghad Party and founding member of NAL, represented the Network at the international conference entitled "Strengthening Networks and Combating Human Trafficking" organized by Liberal International in cooperation with the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Taipei (Taiwan) from December 7-10. 2007.

Speaking to the delegates from all parts of the world, Amb. El Ghatrifi termed the recent creation of the Arab network is "a ground breaking move providing a forum for Arab liberals to stand united against the totalitarian regimes and their oppressive ideologies prevalent in the Arab region." He also said that the Network aims at ensuring that human rights in the Arab world are "re-established and fully protected". The Egyptian liberal stated furthermore: "We maintain that human rights are indivisible and universal".

In his well received speech, Ambassador El Gatrift presented an analysis of the socio-political conditions in the Arab world and dealt with the strategies and tactics of the "authoritarian dictatorships." He said, the Arab governments "may offer labels democratic in name but which at heart are far from liberal and democratic". He concluded by saying that "liberals in the Arab Middle East have a daunting road ahead of them."

Read the full text of the speech of Ambassador El Ghatrifi