Abu Dhabi (Al Ittihad)
The UAE Children’s Parliament held its third session of the first session of the second legislature in Zayed Hall at the Federal National Council headquarters in the capital, Abu Dhabi, in the presence of His Excellency Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Community Protection, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, and Reem bint Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
The session was also attended by Dr. Omar Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Federal National Council, Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, Afra Al Basti, Assistant Secretary General for Parliamentary Communication at the Council Federal National Council, and a number of officials.
Mthayel bint Muhammad Al-Suraidi, Speaker of the UAE Parliament for Children, delivered his inaugural address thanking and appreciating His Excellency Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Community Protection for his generous efforts and his tireless work in support of the rights of the Emirati child, emphasizing that the most important right of the child is the right to health so that the child can enjoy the performance of his daily duties with all ease, and to consolidate this right , the slogan of the Emirati Children’s Day for this year bears the ‘right to health’.
He added, “Emirati Parliament for the Child seeks, with this extraordinary session, to complete the action plan presented by the parliamentary committees and make maximum effort to solve the challenges that hinder the progress and achievements of the Emirati child.” .
Al-Suraidi said that the Parliament is making progress in the approach to protecting the rights of the child and the march of its scientific and cultural strengthening in the outside world, especially the consolidation of the right to participate in the decision-making process, which is the first step in achievement of our goals and plans, wishing success and payback to all members in carrying the flag of auspicious message, and that we remain to your good faith is exerting all our energy and ability to realize the hopes of Emirati child and empower him , and to make Emirati children a stronghold for success and completion of the development process in our homeland.
Khalid bin Ahmed Al Otaiba discussed items on the agenda, such as apologies from some members for not attending, ratification of the minutes of the previous session, discussion of a topic related to children’s mental health presented by the Committee for health and social affairs, as well as announcing the formation of the Environment and Sustainability Committee in the second session of the UAE Parliament for Children.
Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, a member of the Health and Social Care Committee, said during his speech, during which he reviewed a summary of the committee’s report: Several proposals have been made to serve children in our beloved country, the most important of which is the issue of children’s mental health, and the committee discussed the importance of the subject and how to apply it in the field. As the guidance reached by the committee is to provide health insurance including all costs of the psychological treatment for children in all emirates of the country, as well as the existence of an effective hotline for children’s mental health. He added, “These discussions are in the service of all children of the UAE and in implementation of what is stated in the Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 of Child Protection Law ‘Wadimah Law’ which is concerned with preserving the rights and the status of children, and emphasizing the importance of their safety in their environment and in society.
Al-Nuaimi said the recommendation has come to embody the vision of wise leadership, its efforts to provide comprehensive and adequate healthcare to Emirati children and its initiatives it has launched over many years targeting this group .
Al-Nuaimi stressed the need to provide a suitable environment for children, including those suffering from mental disorders, through guidance for everyone on how to communicate, and to provide a comfortable environment for children with mental disorders, in order to obtain a level psychological protected environment.
UAE Member of Parliament for Children’s Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mazrouei said that child’s mental health is considered a basic and legitimate right and is in line with the program launched by the Ministry of Health and Community Protection to develop mental health services for children. Therefore, we aspire that all means are available and that the Emirati child can access adequate and comprehensive support to heal himself from psychological disorders which may cause unavoidable and serious harms that determine the child’s fate, behavior and social role , emphasizing that article “24” of the Federal Law No. of disease, health rehabilitation and access to the best and highest quality health services.
UAE Children’s Parliament Member Rawda bint Abdullah Al Ali recommended, in his speech as a member of the Health and Social Committee, to introduce comprehensive and unified health insurance for all costs of psychological treatment in all emirates of the country for all ages, and this recommendation comes to simulate the initiatives and vision of wise leadership in providing health care, achieve mental health of Emirati child without social restrictions.
UAE Children’s Parliament Member Saud bin Salem Al-Qaidi announced the formation of a committee concerned with environment and sustainability in the second session of the UAE Children’s Parliament to offer a opportunities for children and adolescents to share their views and the challenges they may face to discuss them with state officials and decision makers to preserve future generations and live in a safe and sustainable environment.
At the end of the session, Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi recited the recommendations of the Health and Social Committee, which are: unify health insurance for all children in the country, including the costs of psychological treatment, provide non-seasonal health care hotline to serve children’s mental health and the need for appropriate skills to receive calls from children suffering from disorders, as well as determined children, establishing children’s mental health centers in all emirates of the country, and finally providing guidance for everyone, such as parents, teachers and those around children with mental disorders, and providing them with a comfortable environment.
